Reactions Uncovered

Good Has Overcome Evil—And Still Does

2.20.22 [Romans 12:14-21] River of Life (7th Sunday after Epiphany)

My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. It sounds like the kind of thing that the Apostle Paul would say, especially after reading Romans 12. In Romans 12, Paul calls for a (Rm. 12:9) sincere kind of love. Paul strives to (Rm. 12:16) live in harmony and (Rm. 12:18) peace with a wide array of people—not just friends and family and people of his own socio-economic status, but (Rm 12:18) everyone. Complete strangers, the poor and destitute, and even chronic enemies. Paul encourages his readers to not just find a way to deal with the people who are out to get you, but to actively (Rm. 12:14) bless them. Paul implores his Roman brothers ands sisters even to (Rom 12:20) meet the material needs of their enemies. Again and again, Paul encourages kindness and love from God’s people. Kindness is important. In every relationship. Paul drives that point home in many ways.

But Paul did not say his religion is kindness. Based on these words from Romans 12, Paul would not pin his eternal hope on his own kindness. Kindness is important to Paul, but it is not the matter of supreme importance. If it were, kindness would die on the vine.

Rather the one who most famously describes his religion as kindness is the Buddhist spiritual leader known as the Dalai Lama. And so much of what Paul advocates for here, the Dalai Lama would agree with. As would Gandhi. And the Mormons who live down your street. In fact, just about every world religion says that kindness is really important. Even people who are totally irreligious will rejoice when they see people committing random acts of kindness.

Just about everyone recognizes the impact, the value, & the transcendence of kindness. So why is it so rare? Why is it so hard to be kind? Being kind is good. Being kind makes a difference. We want to believe that is true. But how do we know? How can we be sure?

The Scriptures have clear answers to each of these questions. Look at the practices of kindness Paul encourages here. This is rare stuff, right? It’s hard to do! (Rm. 12:14) Blessing those who persecute you? When someone has it out for you, don’t you just want to fight fire with fire, even though you know it’s not kind, not right, not good? (Rom. 12:19) Revenge may not be good, but sometimes it feels good. (Rm. 12:20) Actively helping your enemies? When someone who has hurt you is struggling, don’t you just feel like they finally got what’s coming to them? Being kind to those who have hurt you, those who have wronged you is hard to do.

(Rm. 12:15) Rejoice with the rejoicers. Mourn with the mourners. Put yourself alongside people who are struggling. Be so in tune with what others are experiencing that you can sit alongside them in good days and in bad. Celebrate when others receive blessings—and you don’t. Be delighted when others are successful—and you aren’t. Be genuinely happy for people when their happiness doesn’t benefit you. That’s hard! It doesn’t come easily.

Neither does the flip side. When someone is mourning, sad, grieving, or even depressed—and you’re not—don’t you just want to break them out of their funk? Don’t you just want them to laugh or smile? Don’t you feel uncomfortable just being with someone who is in the depths of despair? Being kind to someone who is sad—mourning with the mourners—is hard work. It’s rare.

So, too, is associating with those of lower position. Being humble and hospitable. Sometimes, we don’t know how to associate with people of lower position, because we haven’t a clue what life is like for them. Other times, we know from experience what life like that is like—and we’ve worked hard to pull ourselves up. Being kind to folks who don’t work hard is hard work. Being kind to people who have created so many of their own problems is problematic. Notice Paul isn’t saying: Give them a taste of the good life so that they’ll want to better themselves. He says lower yourself. Roll up your sleeves and rub elbows with them. That’s hard.

What Paul says here is good. And it is hard. Most people—whether they’re an Atheist, Mormon, or Buddhist—would acknowledge that what Paul is saying here is simultaneously a noble and a difficult thing. Why is that?

The atheist might say we are not kind because we are ignorant. Our lizard brains lead us to view everyone else as competition. If we understood that being kind wasn’t a threat to our own survival or happiness, we’d be kind.

The Mormon would use more familiar Biblical imagery, but their conclusion isn’t much different. We struggle to be kind because we are aiming toward inferior, selfish goals. We just need to know where to aim—how to be kind—and then, with enough practice, we will do it right.

The Buddhist might say that we just need to understand how interconnected we all are. If we could see in our enemies, in those of lower position, in the rejoicers and the mourners how we are all the same, then we would be kind. We just need to be enlightened.

Each of them believes that the good that overcomes evil is within you. It needs to be educated, directed, or enlightened. And that’s hogwash. And you know it. If it were a matter of education, or direction, or enlightenment you’d make progress. There would be this aha moment, this instance when you got the sight dialed in and you’re nailing your mark, this light-bulb that turned on and suddenly you see everything and everyone differently.

Paul offers a different explanation. He says by nature we are all (Rm. 7:14) slaves to sin—totally incapable of doing any of these things unless we think somehow they will benefit us. He says even when I want to be kind, sometimes—for reasons I cannot understand or explain or change—I just don’t do it. Even when I have the desire to be a kind person, I don’t always do kind things. Even though I hate the idea of being rude or proud, antagonistic or quick-tempered, judgmental or vengeful, I keep behaving this way. Paul does not say—like the atheist, the Mormon, or the Buddhist—that good is within me. He says: (Rm 7:22) I can identify and recognize what is good. My heart and mind have been programmed to value things like kindness, (Rm 7:23-24) but I malfunction. (Rm 7:25) I am damaged and defective and I cannot fix myself. If evil is to be overcome by good, it must come from some place else. Somebody else is gonna do it.

And Paul tells us it has. Good overcoming evil isn’t just a fairy tale or a popular wish or a heartfelt hope. It is a historical event. Good overcoming evil happened. Everything that Paul is imploring us to be and do in this life has been done for us in the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Our Kind Brother Jesus has overcome evil in our place by doing these things: blessing his enemies, associating with people of low position, doing what is right all the time, and accepting God’s wrath.

(Rm. 5:20) While we were still enemies of God and hostile to his righteous ways, Christ Jesus came into this world. This was a blessing from God. He did not demand that we make our way to him. (Php. 2:5-7) He came down to us. He didn’t just associate with people of low position—he became like us. (Heb. 4:15) Familiar with our struggles. He even subjected himself to temptation. Yet in every moment, he did what was right. No matter what people said about him, he was kind and forgiving. No matter how people treated him, he was loving and truthful. Jesus was humble and peaceable.

He was considerate and tenderhearted. He rejoiced with those who were rejoicing. (Jn. 2:1-11) Jesus attended the wedding at Cana, not because the bride and groom were going to be a perfect example of marital love, but because he was celebrating what God was joining together.

Jesus mourned with those who were mourning. (Lk. 7:13) His heart went out to the widow at Nain as she was about to bury her only son and he used his divine power to give the young man back to his mother.

Jesus lived in harmony and at peace with everyone. We see him preaching and teaching in Jerusalem and Galilee—among the white-collar religious experts and the blue-collar fishermen. His own disciples were a diverse group. (Mt. 9:9) Matthew was a tax collector—a direct supporter of the Roman empire. (Lk. 6:15) Simon the Zealot was aligned with a group that wanted to overthrow Rome. Both followed Jesus and believed in him as their Lord and Savior. Throughout his ministry he offered the Bread of Life to those who hated him without reason and the Water of Life to those who despised him. They rejected him, but he continued to hold out his merciful hands to them.

Even in his final day, Jesus blessed those who cursed him. Though he had the power to call down legions of angels to smite his enemies, he refused. Not only did Jesus not take revenge, he accepted God’s wrath for the wickedness of his enemies. Jesus insisted it be upon him, instead of us. He suffered and died for our sins. Ultimately, this is how good overcame evil.

Jesus, the only one who is good, has overcome evil for us. By his good life, by his innocent death, and by his glorious resurrection he has demonstrated that the evils of sin, death, and the devil have no power over him. He is victorious. He has overcome evil once and for all. That same Jesus has poured out his Holy Spirit upon you. He calls your body his Temple. He dwells in your heart by grace through faith. The one who has saved us, not because of the kind things we have done for our neighbors, but because of his great mercy, empower us to do what we know to be good. Even when it’s difficult. And it is. And it will continue to be.

You notice Paul doesn’t say that when you bless those who persecute you, they’ll stop persecuting you. Paul doesn’t pretend that you will be able to live at peace with everyone. But he does remind us that the power to combat evil comes from our good God and Savior. He has overcome evil for us. He has defeated evil in us—by washing us with water and the Word.

He strengthens us to overcome evil around us. Our confidence is not in our kindness, but in (Titus 3:4) the kindness of God our Savior. Knowing the good news of Jesus is the greatest blessing our persecutors can possess—as Paul knew first hand. When we see our enemies in need and do something, we are putting into practice what God has done for us. When we are humble and sympathetic, eager to serve and quick to forgive, we are demonstrating how good has overcome evil in us. This is not natural. This is not easy. This is God working in us.

So let us open our eyes to four types of people this week. The rejoicing. The mourning. Those who have wronged us. And those who want to wrong us. May God give us a joyful heart when we are around joyful people. May God give us a sensitive ear when we meet those who are mourning. May God make us quick to forgive those who have trespassed against us. May God make us quick to help those who are seeking our ruin. Then may God give us one more blessing. Use us to show those who are celebrating, what lasting good really is. Use us to show those who are mourning, that there is one who longs to wipe away their tears forever. Use us to show those who have wronged us, the one who has paid for all wrongs. Use us to introduce our enemies to the friend they have in Jesus.

Our religion, our faith, is very simple. It’s in Jesus. He is my kind, humble Savior. He is eager to help his enemies and quick to forgive those who have treated him shabbily. He is the Good One who has triumphed over the Evil One—and because of his love for me, I love him and those around me. Amen.