Repaying Evil

The Christian life in an age of payback.

I sometimes wonder if we take Christ seriously regarding worldly conflicts. It seems like we are more prone to take matters into our own hands.

We pay back in kind, we pay back plus one (if you slap me, I’ll knock you out), we are sometimes preemptive in our aggression towards those who even pose a threat.

But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matthew 5:39)

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." (Romans 12:19)

“…we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you…” (2 Thessalonians 1:4-6)

Terrorists and evildoers immorally unleash atrocities on the innocent in the name of an ideology or perceived injustice, and we just want to stomp it all out, put an end to the evil, like seeing roaches scatter when the lights are turned on - get rid of them.

Each jurisdiction has the rule of law, and there is the hope that it will be meted out morally and ethically, but depending on the winds of leadership, there is typically little consistency in a given justice system.

What do we do? Are we Christians first? Or [insert country]’s? It’s one of the complex challenges of life.

Isn’t there enough evil in the world without us taking offense and returning evil with evil when wronged? If we learn to bless, not curse, we won’t add to the evil in the world. We reduce darkness by not adding our own. Instead, through patience and faith, we trust God to rectify injustice.

Is that a difficult stance to take? Yes. Is it impossible? Probably.

The brilliant Count Leo Tolstoy, the Russian author of what many would say is the greatest novel of all time, War and Peace, seemed to be continuously thinking about his faith and the interplay of Christ and Culture. Late in life, he penned the nonfiction books My Religion and The Kingdom of God is Within You, which outlined his social doctrine in detail.

Tolstoy’s observations were, in a nutshell, that Matthew 5:38-39 comprised the essence of the doctrine of Christ, and the key to understanding everything as a Christ-follower. His premise was that, historically, well-intentioned people had totally missed the mark, and that Christ’s personal example of non-resistance was the only way to truly change the world.

His arguments were so compelling that both Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. adopted and developed Tolstoy’s concepts into their theories and practices of nonviolent resistance, a doctrine born out of the context of Christ’s command to “resist not evil.”

By not returning evil for evil, we demonstrate faith in believing that the battle is the Lord’s, and in His time, He will make things right, for He is the victorious Lord of All.

When I was a toddler and suffered unfairness or maltreatment, I ran to my parents for help, crying out to them for protection and justice. They stepped in. They protected their children. Could this be a secret to overcoming the darkness of this age? Don’t add to evil, but trust the Lord, and, through patience, allow time for the lost to find their way home?

We would be wise never to underestimate the extent of God's involvement in the world's affairs, and His love for every person in the world, even those who currently hate Him and hate you by association.

(Image from Freepik.com)