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Brooksyne Weber
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Thursday, March
2, 2023
The iconic smokestacks of the Hershey Company power plant.
Photo taken by Ester
"A
Consideration
Of Being
Wronged"
Message
summary: We’ve
all been
wronged in
various ways
and our
response to
those wrongs
is a key
expression of
our faith.
"Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" (1 Corinthians 6:7). “Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done” (2 Timothy 4:14). 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” (Romans 12:19).
We read so many stories of senseless violence, although in reality what violence is sensible? Last week we read a story out of South Carolina about a young mother who was killed in a parking lot over some type of altercation. Although the details are unclear it would seem that one or both parties felt wronged.
It's hard being wronged or treated unjustly. The passionate response to these wrongs and injustices can bring about a desire for revenge.
The
first text is
in regard to
lawsuits in
the church
which Paul
taught was
wrong and a
poor witness
to the world.
In the bigger
picture in
matters like
this he wrote,
"Why
not rather be
wronged? Why
not rather be
cheated?"
Today
let us
consider the
Biblical
concept
expressed in
our second
text by Paul
that “the
Lord will
repay” in
matters of
being wronged
or perceived
unfairness. I
realize that
at the root of
the issue (for
me anyway) is
having faith
that this is
really so,
that God
really will
repay. What
can be
particularly
troubling is
when the
offender seems
not to be
dealing with
consequences
or judgment,
but rather
appears to be
getting by
with his or
her unjust
action.
Paul is writing from his own experience of being wronged. It’s his final letter and he writes: "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm". This may have been the same Alexander he wrote of in 1 Timothy 1:19,20 who had rejected solid teaching and shipwrecked his faith, and had been "handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme".
Alexander had caused Paul “a great deal of harm". No further detail is offered but we can see that Paul had been very hurt. He goes on to warn Timothy: "You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message". It would appear, especially if this is the same Alexander mentioned in 1 Timothy, that he was spreading doctrinal error which was bringing confusion and leading people astray and that would have been very grievous to Paul, a stalwart defender of the Faith.
But in spite of this great hurt Paul practiced his own earlier teaching from his letter to the Romans when he acknowledged: "The Lord will repay him for what he has done". It would be great to have the original audio version as read by Paul for this phrase. Did he read it with an angry, spiteful, vengeful tone or with humility in recognition of God’s most certain future judgment on this matter? (I believe it was the latter.)
The third verse from Romans is in a teaching section regarding personal revenge when one is wronged. We are to “leave room for God’s wrath” and this is actually followed by a direct quote from the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 32:35: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord”. This is not normally the type of passage we would list as a promise but I believe it really is.
We’ve all been wronged in various ways and our response to those wrongs is a key expression of our faith.
Today some of you are personally impacted by the theme of this encouragement. You have been wronged and perhaps you have an intense desire for revenge. I know in my life if certain things happened this would be a real battle for me and applying the concept of “leaving it in the Lord’s hands” might be a great time of testing for me.
Paul is writing from his own experience of being wronged. It’s his final letter and he writes: "Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm". This may have been the same Alexander he wrote of in 1 Timothy 1:19,20 who had rejected solid teaching and shipwrecked his faith, and had been "handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme".
Alexander had caused Paul “a great deal of harm". No further detail is offered but we can see that Paul had been very hurt. He goes on to warn Timothy: "You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message". It would appear, especially if this is the same Alexander mentioned in 1 Timothy, that he was spreading doctrinal error which was bringing confusion and leading people astray and that would have been very grievous to Paul, a stalwart defender of the Faith.
But in spite of this great hurt Paul practiced his own earlier teaching from his letter to the Romans when he acknowledged: "The Lord will repay him for what he has done". It would be great to have the original audio version as read by Paul for this phrase. Did he read it with an angry, spiteful, vengeful tone or with humility in recognition of God’s most certain future judgment on this matter? (I believe it was the latter.)
The third verse from Romans is in a teaching section regarding personal revenge when one is wronged. We are to “leave room for God’s wrath” and this is actually followed by a direct quote from the Old Testament in Deuteronomy 32:35: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord”. This is not normally the type of passage we would list as a promise but I believe it really is.
We’ve all been wronged in various ways and our response to those wrongs is a key expression of our faith.
Today some of you are personally impacted by the theme of this encouragement. You have been wronged and perhaps you have an intense desire for revenge. I know in my life if certain things happened this would be a real battle for me and applying the concept of “leaving it in the Lord’s hands” might be a great time of testing for me.
But
I also know
that God wants
me to trust
Him in this
regard as
well. He
promised that
He will never
give us more
than we can
endure. And
the key to
this endurance
is possible
only when we
cast all our
cares on Him
and lay our
burdens at the
feet of our
Burden Bearer.
Be
encouraged
today, (Hebrews
3:13)
Stephen
and Brooksyne
Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father,
in our attempt
to get even
with our
offender, we
can do
irreparable
harm not only
to our
wrongdoer, but
most
especially to
ourselves.
Instead of
having a
spirit of
forgiveness we
harbor a
vengeful
heart. Our
hearts harden
and take on
the character
of the enemy
instead of the
Savior who
loved us even
while we were
dead in our
transgressions
and sins. Our
debt of sin He
paid, freeing
us to break
the chains of
sin that had
long held us
bound. Father,
You heal the
broken-hearted
and console
the wounded as
they seek You
in the midst
of their
affliction,
whether it is
a fresh wound
or an old
injury. Our
affliction
from others is
earthbound,
but our
affection for
You is
heavenbound
where there
will be no
more
heartaches,
pain or
wrongdoing of
any kind. Keep
us steadfast
and faithful
till that
appointed
time. Amen.
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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
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