Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
Romans 12:17
Mr. Matthew Pannkuk – Chaplain, Bible Teacher
One of our greatest temptations, one of the primary methods Satan uses to overcome us with evil, is to have us repay evil with evil. We so often choose to fight fire with fire instead of with water.
When we are wronged, sinned against, hurt, we somehow feel this desire and compulsion to get even. The most important thing possible to our brains and hearts and lives at that moment is to get justice for the evil just perpetrated against us.
However, this is a deceit from the father of lies. He wants you to overcome evil with evil, because that fits nicely into his evil plan.
We are not to overcome evil with evil, but to overcome it with good.
What is not good, and what does not overcome evil: is vengeance, or revenge. Doing something evil back.
See the larger context of our theme verse in Romans 12:19-21
[19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” [20] To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It is natural to want to avenge ourselves. Yet we must deny that natural impulse and listen to the impulse of our new nature as new creations in the image of the resurrected Christ. We must meet evil with good.
If there is one thing that has most amazed me about teaching Bible to children and teenagers over the years, it is the ability of students to get an answer about love and mercy and grace perfectly correct on a test and yet fail to live out what they wrote.
Now it is not a shock that humans, even little humans, can be hypocrites. But what amazed me about this is the attitude exhibited when someone failed to live out grace and love. There was often not remorse or regret. Instead, there was a strong feeling that the evil they did was allowable, justifiable, even necessary.
Why did they feel the evil they did was acceptable? This is what truly amazed me: it was deemed acceptable because someone else did something evil to them first!
Sometimes we feel because someone did something evil to us, we are allowed to do something evil back. Like somehow it’s not evil if we do it because we weren’t the ones who did it first!
She said something mean to me, so I said something mean back!
He stole my pencil, so I hid his folder!
She was cheating at soccer, so I pushed her to the ground.
He was making fun of another student, so I made fun of him.
She spread a rumor about me, so I told everyone to not talk to her or sit by her at lunch.
He wrote a message online that was hurtful, or embarrassing. So I swore at him.
My son won’t listen or respect me, so I yelled at him, or gave a punishment I know was too harsh.
These are NOT appropriate things to do! These are examples of being overcome by evil! If you do something evil to someone else, even if they did something mean or wrong first, you are being overcome by evil!
We need to strive to not be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good!
What are some ways you can overcome evil with good? What is something good you can do instead of the evil impulse for revenge?
If someone says something mean, say something nice! Or ignore the comment, talk to someone else.
If someone steals your pencil, ask for it back nicely, or tell the teacher (in a kind way).
If someone cheats at soccer, ask them to not cheat, talk to the teacher, maybe play another game. Talk to them calmly after the game, maybe with a teacher or other students, kindly and lovingly asking them to stop.
If someone makes fun of someone else, still stand up to them, but don’t insult back. Tell them to stop, that this isn’t right. Get some help as well.
If someone spreads a rumor, don’t exclude them in return. Maybe include them! Maybe they felt sad, or lonely, or left out, and they started a rumor because they just wanted attention. Talk to a parent, a pastor, the counselor, about ideas on how to do good instead of evil.
If someone insults you online, or embarrasses you, pray for them! Pray for God to show you how to not react with something evil, but with something good.
If your son won’t listen or respect you, consider how you have acted that way to the LORD, and how he was patient and kind to you even in your wickedness.
It is natural to want to return evil for evil. Yet one way to summarize the Christian life is see it as a continual process of overcoming the instincts of our sinful nature and growing the instincts of our new redeemed and restored nature.
We need to have the instincts of Jesus Christ, who never once overcome evil with evil. Even on the cross, he asked for forgiveness upon those who did evil against him.
As Romans says, the best vengeance possible is to keep our hands off and allow God’s plan to move forward unhindered. It is not easy, but it is best.
LORD, help us to leave revenge to you, because you alone can do such things properly and appropriately. Help us to remember that we don’t have to respond to the wrongs done to us, as you took them entirely upon the cross. You have already overcome evil!
May we live in light of your victory, and not overcome evil with evil, but overcome evil with good. Amen.
Twin Oaks Christian School, a ministry of Twin Oaks Presbyterian Church
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