Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:17-21
Dear Lord Jesus, as I pray-read my way through the Scriptures, it’s a great comfort to realize that you anticipate and “get” every relational challenge we will ever face in life. Your Word is a storehouse of wisdom and a wellspring of gospel-sanity. It shows us how to love to your glory when simply don’t know what to do… or when we simply want to run away.
But you’ve given us more than a handbook of instructions, you given us yourself—the Living Word. Apart from your presence and your grace, the admonitions in this one passage mock our sensibilities. We cannot and we will not live this way, without you, Jesus. Everything within us instinctively wants to get even when we are hurt by others.
Whether it’s a “light-hearted” insult or an outright assault… whether it’s our forgotten birthday or a remembered failure… whether we’re excluded from a party or included in someone’s madness… relationships hurt like nothing else. And so often, too often, the pain we feel get’s recycled and redistributed to others.
Jesus, we ask you for thick skin and a big heart. We want to love well—to love to your glory… when we experience everything from non-intended slights to fully intended harm. Where evil has already deeply wounded us or is presently stalking, remind us that you will repay… you will avenge. Make this real to us, and not just a vague spiritual maxim.
Indeed, more clearly than we see the enemies of beauty, let us see the wonders of your cross. More than we desire to see burning coals heaped on their heads, let us see you, Jesus. The only way we can even imagine overcoming evil with good is by remembering you’ve already secured the utter annihilation of all evil and darkness.
But we confess, Jesus, we’re clueless about feeding hungry, thirsty enemies. Take our hand and show us the way. No one does this better than you.
And Jesus, where we’re just too sensitive… too easily offended… too quick to keep a record of wrongs done to us… too slow to overlook what can and what should be overlooked, have mercy on us, but also be at work within in. Free us to do the right thing, the gospel thing. As far as we are able… as far as it depends on us, show us how to make peace… guard peace… nurture peace with everyone. All of this is simply impossible, apart from you, Jesus. So very Amen, we pray, in your holy and sufficient name.
