Fourth Sunday after Trinity (2025)

Romans 12:14-21

My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in our Epistle lesson today, we hear some words that fly in the face of reason, that make many scratch their heads and wonder if St. Paul hasn’t gone a bit mad during his Evangelism, but it continues to build upon the foundation that has been laid in our lessons from the past week, as we see yet again that the Love, and the Care that we are to have for all of mankind is one of kindness, love and a gracious attitude toward those who are in need. That even when someone wrongs us that we seek to repay them in kindness.

Living in a Sinful World

We not only sin, but are sinned against.

This is an unfortunate reality that we live out day by day. We see this most clearly within family, and even those we consider to be friends, for the more in contact we are with people the more frequently we suffer due to their sinfulness. How do we respond?

We want to make it even.

Well we say that, but we aren’t usually satisfied with even, we want to make sure to get our point across so add a little extra oomph to so they know not to cross us again. You see this happen between siblings, and even in marriages between husband and wife, as you don’t want to let anything go and as time goes on we get better at justifying it to ourselves that they deserved this, they had it coming, they should have known better than to cross me.

This is neither forgiveness nor mercy.

But it is how the world works, this is the opposite of love, it’s hate, that makes sure that stems from pride and that cannot abide anyone treating us less than we deserve, and so we make sure they know my worth. This is

How Corruption Spreads

Repaying Evil for Evil makes you...

What? If you are practicing evil, if you are engaging in evil, then you are evil. We can say they deserved it, why were my parents so foolish as to leave the oreos out in plain sight. My did my weaker brother take this from me, when he knows that I can beat him up? We are never responsible for the evil that we commit, it’s always my neighbor’s fault.

This is how satan works against us.

Satan persuades us that we aren’t responsible for the evil we commit, and he convinces us that its good. I could be at peace with my neighbor, if they would just agree with me politically. I wouldn’t have to nag or insult, my husband if he wasn’t so incompetent and worthless. If my wife respected me more, I wouldn’t have to spend so much time online. If they appreciated me and paid me what I was worth, I would do a better job. Evil doesn’t justify Evil. When you do this seeking revenge

To seek revenge is to reject God as judge.

That’s why the Scriptures warn us against it so strongly because when you seek revenge, you are saying that God’s judgment isn’t good enough and you need to take matters into your own hands, because you know better than the judge of all creation is incapable of addressing the injustices that have been committed against you. So don’t repay evil for evil, rather overcome evil with good. Now I imagine when you hear this the sinner inside of you asks, .

What Could This Accomplish??

It saved you.

Look at the text and read again but this time consider that it is Christ who is doing these things. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them? Did Jesus do that for you? Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another, and do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Did Christ descend and associate with sinners like you and me? Yes! He wasn’t wise in his own sight, He always reminded them that he was doing the work of his father. How did He repay you?

Jesus took our evil, and loved us.

He didn’t just take your small, or minor sins, he took the worst of your sins, your habitual sins, your failings, be it your anger, your lust, your drunkeness, your lack of gratitude, or your pride that treats your neighbor like trash and to whom you have not showed love nor mercy. He took your evil from you, and overcame it with good. Consider

What if He had thought like you?

What if Christ had sought revenge instead of showing mercy? What if He had looked at you and said, well you deserved to suffer, you’re an idiot, a fool, worthless, you aren’t worthy of being loved. Jesus didn’t do that, he rather took upon Himself your sins that you might be forgiven. He overcame the evil within our hearts, by the Good that was in His.

Christ’s Love Changes Hearts

If we belong to the world, this all sounds insane.

The world doesn’t understand this love, and it doesn’t seek it in the everyday. It urges us to balance the scales on our own instead of committing ourselves into the hands of God’s judgment. If we belong to Christ, we learn that while we might not have things work out immediately that God will not forget or forsake his people, just as he did not forget Jesus.

We’re instead urged to imitate our Savior.

Who entrusted himself to God’s will even in the darkest and most difficult of hour as He was betrayed by the very people he had come to save. Even in that moment, he did not seek vengeance but sought our forgiveness and showed to us mercy. So when someone wrongs us, we don’t seek personal vengeance. If it is a personal matter, then we seek to resolve between them and us, and if they have committed a crime, then we refer them to the authorities and the courts that God has established. Now to be clear.

The Law does not save.

But this doesn’t mean that the Law is useless, and that we can just toss it out the window. While the Law doesn’t save us, it does guide our works and defines what love is. This is what love looks like, that do good even to those who wrong us lest we join in their evil and by so doing, we heap

Burning Coals Upon Their Heads

Genuine love and kindness sticks with people.

Now the sinner inside of me, was like really I can heap burning coals on the heads of my enemies! Vengeance shall be mine! That’s not the right interpretation, but genuine love and kindness that seeks the good is what we found in the Gospel, the Love that Jesus has for us changed our hearts. Jesus tells the disciples that people shall know we are his disciples by the love that we have for one another. For we don’t look like the world. Now

What if evil goes unpunished?

It won’t. God is judge, he is good, and he is just, and he will punish all wickedness, all betrayal, all sin, and all the secret evils that men get away with in this life. It is our hope that they repent, but don’t think that anyone can get away with evil, by extension that you can. The judgment will come, and trust that God’s judgment is enough. Why doesn’t he punish it instantly? Because He gives them time to repent, and that is time you and I have appreciated. This means

Life won’t be fair.

Anyone who told you that it would be, was lying to ya. Life is incredibly unfair, but it was also unfair that one man should pay for the sins of the whole world. So let us not lament an unfair life too much, for we have benefited much by the price that Jesus paid for us on Calvary.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Jesus blessed us even when we persecuted and forsook him, and showed us love while we were loveless. Let’s treat our neighbors with the same compassion and love that Christ has shown us. Not seeking personal vengeance against those who have wronged us, but reconciliation, when it is personal, and when it is criminal involving the authorities that God has given to make sure that wrongs are addressed properly. It is hard to let ago of seeking revenge, and wanting to balance those scales, but look there at Christ, and see how He did not seek revenge against you, but deserved your forgiveness and salvation. In Jesus name. Amen.