8 Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9 Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.
10 For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; 11 let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
13 Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.
THOUGHTS:
"Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing" (verse 9). This is not an easy message. When someone hurts us, our nature is to want revenge...to "get them back". Think about popular TV shows and movies: the maligned hero goes out and does whatever is necessary to take down the villain...to bring the villain to justice.
Our calling as Christians is different. We are called to repay evil and abuse with a blessing. Will it be easy? No way! Will blessing those who hurt us turn everyone we encounter into friends? Probably not. Will our lives be without suffering if we do this? Nope. Yet we are told that "even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed" (verse 14).
Likewise, Jesus tells us to "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt" (Luke 6:27-29). Yet few Christians actually model these types of behaviors. Maybe we've decided these practices are antiquated or impractical ... or maybe we have let our self-preservation instincts rule our actions.
Consider the reaction of the Amish community in Pennsylvania after a man murders many of their children before taking his own life: they visited with the killer's family and attended his funeral, invited the killer's widow to the funeral for their children, and set up a charitable fund for the family of the man who took the lives of their children. They were heard saying things like: "We must not think evil of this man." I encourage you to read this short section on their forgiving response, and think and pray about how you might learn to be more forgiving: http://is.gd/lAaa
PRAYER:
Lord God, you have forgiven so much that we have done. Help us to forgive others...to see them through your eyes. We desire to seek your way in this world, yet we struggle. Be here in this struggle among us, and help us to grow closer to you. We pray this in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.
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PS: If you want to discuss theology -- to talk about questions you have reading the above -- in a safe, open environment, then join us at Brion's Grille on TONIGHT (3/3) at 5:15pm . Contact lutheran@gmu.edu for details/rides.
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These devotions are provided by Lutheran Campus Ministry at George Mason University. Feel free to share them with your friends! For more information on our ministry and events, see http://gmu.edu/org/lutheran
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