Radical Living Closing the Door On Vengeance

Closing the Door on Vengeance “To be a biblical Christian is not to have high views of the Bible. It is to seek and know and live the life that is depicted in the Bible.” Dallas Willard “This is how the church bears prophetic witness to the world: by being a preview of what is to come.” Brian Zahnd Which is the higher authority – Jesus or the Bible? What if Jesus says something contrary to the Bible? 5x in the sermon on the mount “You have heard… but I say” "An eye for an eye" (Biblical Hebrew: ‫) עַַ֚ יִן ַ ַּ֣תחַ ת עַַ֔ יִן‬or the law of retaliation (Latin: lex talionis) is the principle that a person who has injured another person is to be penalized to a similar degree, and the person inflicting such punishment should be the injured party. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you (the injured party) on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. Mt. 5:38-42 One of the reasons The OT talks so much about justice is because the Jews often suffered injustice. When you’re the top dog you don’t think so earnestly about justice, but if you’re on the bottom you have a different perspective. The Hebrew prophetic tradition developed in the crucible of enduring threat, invasion, and oppression from Gentile empires. In this crucible of suffering a theology of justice was forged, but it also produced the slag of vengeance theology. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; Isaiah 61:1-2 What did Israel want? Isaiah’s vision of the Day of the Lord is that Messiah will bring the justice of Jubilee to the Jews while bringing violent vengeance upon the Gentiles. BUT retaliatory vengeance is not the only lens in the Old Testament for viewing Gentiles Luke 4:14-21 Did you catch what happened? What Jesus did? Luke 4:22-30 How did the people respond to Jesus’ words? “Jesus didn’t come to bring vengeance; he came to close the book on vengeance. Jesus announced the Jubilee good news of pardon, amnesty, liberation, and restoration. Jesus doesn’t bless revenge; he blesses mercy and teaches that the mercy we show to our enemies is the mercy that will be shown to us. God does not allow us to hope that the book of divine vengeance will be closed for us but left open and inflicted in full upon others.” Brian Zahnd Subtext: any content of a creative work which is not announced explicitly by the characters or author, but is implicit or becomes something understood by the observer of the work as the production unfolds. Subtext has been used historically to imply controversial subjects without drawing the attention, or wrath, of censors. Wikipedia Jesus uses two subtext examples in the Old Testament I Kings 17 --the widow of Zarephath II Kings 5 – Naaman What is an enemy? Someone whose story you haven’t heard “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Mt.5:43-48 Should Christians support torture of suspected terrorists? The death penalty? Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear 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. Rom.12:17-21 The wrath of God (hell) is the love of God refused Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin? Rom.2:4 (NLT) “I willingly believe that the damned are, in one sense, successful, rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside. I do not mean that the ghosts may not wish to come out of hell, in the vague fashion wherein an envious man “wishes” to be happy: but they certainly do not will even the first preliminary stages of that self-abandonment through which alone the soul can reach any good. They enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore selfenslaved: just as the blessed, forever submitting to obedience, become through all eternity more and more free.” C S Lewis Last thought on vengeance If we cling to our desire for vengeance, we lose Jesus and he passes right through our midst