Sermon Tone Analysis
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Talk about leaning on the Lord, blessing those who persecute you.
One of the hardest things to do is put away a personal attack and forgive someone who has tried to do intentional harm (either physical or emotional) to you or your family.
We live in a culture of “an eye for an eye” - if you do something to me, then I will get even.
But that is not what is expected of us from God.
We are told to bless them, and not curse them.
We are to lift them up to the Lord and treat them in the same manner as Christ would have.
What attitude would Christ have taken to someone opposing Him?
Even at a time when Christ had been taken into custody, beaten, whipped, scourged, spat upon, nailed to a cross and then mocked, pay close attention to His words:
We should not wish divine harm to anyone who persecutes us either.
As a matter of fact, we extend mercy to them because of the mercy given to us.
Remember, they have chosen a life WITHOUT God, which places them in the most pitiful state we could ever see a human in.
We should instead pray for their salvation.
When we start to see the state of their heart, then it gives us an opportunity to feel the emotion Christ certainly felt towards us when we were also living in sin.
Paul addresses our personal attitude.
If our heart is in the right place, we should feel for one another.
Happy when other are happy, sad when others are sad, knowing full well that we do not know the exact emotion we empathize with them.
This helps us truly look at our inward heart and compare it to our love for our neighbor, as we are commanded to do in Luke 10:27.
Here Paul gets to the meat of the matter.
Live in harmony with one another.
Our goal should be to live a life where we get along with other believers with the goal being to let other non-believers see what Christianity brings to our lives.
Do we have a positive witness outside the church?
When we:
Gossip?
Speak ill of others?
Disagree with everyone over everything?
Intentionally try to cause harm to others?
We should never forget we are no better than anyone else.
We are only forgiven sinners.
By causing discord, are we falling into the attitude of sinful pride?
Instead we are to associate with the lowly.
Remember the old saying “don’t get too big for your britches”?
Don’t ever think we have attained a level so high that we look down upon those who are not of our same status.
Remember, status is just what we or someone else thinks of us - I would much rather be concerned over what God thinks of me and my actions.
Two wrongs STILL do not make a right.
Paul reminds us that we cannot get into the attitude that getting “even” with someone is right.
Remember an “eye for an eye” speaks of public administration of justice, not a personal vendetta.
But Paul also goes on to preface what he earlier said “live peaceably with all” but places a disclaimer “if possible, so far as it depends on you”.
There will be some people you will never please.
There will be others who seek ill will towards us.
There will be some that will continue these attitudes and actions regardless of how we treat them.
Let that fall on them, not on us because of our negative actions or reactions.
When that happens, sometimes we must disassociate ourselves from those people in an effort to keep peace.
Do we have the right to punish others?
We do not possess the ability to administer divine justice.
Again, note that this is not speaking of the governments administration of justice.
This speaks to an individual seeking retribution towards another person.
Notice the repetition of this theme (verses 14, 17, 19, and 21), and now we are given the reason behind it.
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”.
We cannot judge spiritual matters when we are corrupt, spiritually, also.
Spiritual judgment can only come from God, and they will face the wrath of God.
Likewise, we will face the wrath of God trying to be His spokesperson without His authority to do so.
By doing so, places us on the same level as those who were unjustly accused by those who placed him on the cross.
Remember, by accepting the injustice and suffering of the cross, Christ removed God’s wrath from us, and we should remove the desire to place unjust wrath on anyone else.
We should be more concerned in showing mercy and grace so they can see the image of Christ in our actions and lead them towards true repentance and faith?
Instead, Paul continues with the theme of giving relief to those in need.
He quotes Proverbs 25:21-22 “21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”
We are commanded to do the same as Ezekiel did towards the Syrians who were warring against Israel tried to take him captive.
By extending mercy and showing kindness, it brings shame on those trying to do you harm.
We are told in 1 Peter 2:15
Who is the true enemy we fight against?
We are not fighting against people, but against the source of evil in this world - Satan.
We should be more concerned with seeing them come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made on the cross that we are in getting even with them.
By doing so, we overcome evil with good.
Even though it is not always going to be effective, it is the most effective plan we have and fulfills the only right method of handling people who persecute us.
How do we respond to those who oppose us?
Do we show our humanity, or do we show them Christ?
The attitude in which we approach others either “gives them the devil” or “shows them to Christ”.
Which do you choose?
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