Vendetta

An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth; if someone harms us, it’s only fair they get what they deserve- right? 

In Luke 9:52-56 we see that’s exactly how James and John, two of Christ’s disciples, felt when an entire city rejected Jesus. This rejection was highly offensive and in their desire to protect Jesus, they felt consequences were necessary. They wanted immediate action. After all, who did these people think they were? How dare they insult the Messiah?  

In their righteous indignation, they reasoned the best solution was for fire to come down from heaven to destroy the wicked city. That seemed fair, right?  

It does seem a bit much, but there is a lesson to be learned. James and John loved Jesus and it hurt them to see Him treated this way. They saw how much Jesus loved and how He lived His life in a sacrificial way. It hurts when someone we love is mistreated, especially when they don’t deserve it.  

When we have been wronged our desire may be retaliation.  This desire leads to our personal vendetta taking over causing us to spend endless amounts of time brooding over that person finally getting what they deserve. Something terrible may happen to them and on the inside we are jumping for joy. “That’s what they get!” is our hearts cry. Or worse yet, they may succeed or seem to be better than ever. That can really be infuriating. Thoughts of our own failures and the unfairness of it can be all consuming. 

How did Christ respond to James and John’s vendetta? He rebuked them. Jesus did not come to bring destruction. He came to save. We must remember that judgment belongs to God alone. Although these men thought they were protecting Jesus, in reality they were judging harshly with impure motives. Instead of allowing Jesus to address the situation, they wanted to take matters into their own hands and hurt those who hurt them.  

I have been there. There have been times where I too have been brought down by my desire for retaliation. In the midst of the anger, it is infuriating to see the person who hurt you go on with life as usual. My desire for revenge caused me to act out in ways I am not proud of. Even when I tried to suppress it, it would bubble over in other ways. 

Thankfully, unlike me, the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in mercy (Psalm 103:8). I had to make a decision. Do I continue to feed my desire for revenge or do I surrender it at foot of the cross? 

Unresolved anger was delaying my wholeness and keeping me from my destiny. I know there is a God in heaven who sees me. He has seen all I have experienced and I have to trust He will take care of it in His way and in His time. In order for me to experience His peace I needed to surrender it all including the mental comparisons and ill will. My standard of success could no longer be measured in light of the other person’s accomplishments. I had to turn away and shift my focus from the unfairness of the situation to God’s forgiveness. I did not want the anger in my soul to destroy me from the inside out.

Nothing can compare to God’s power. He alone can give us the strength to lay down the anger and forgive, but it starts with us. We have to be willing to release it into His hands. This is the first step in getting our lives back. We no longer have to ruminate in the unfairness. We can begin the process of walking our own journey, independent of the painful events.  

Because we are filled with impure motives, we are not meant to take vengeance. “ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord. Instead, ‘If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads”’(Romans 12:18-20 NLT). 

Before David became the king of Israel, he went through years of slander, persecution and near death at the hands of Saul. David had plenty of opportunities to avenge himself. Instead of taking matters into his owns hands, he chose to allow God to take care of the situation. These were David’s words: “May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you” (I Samuel 24:12). 

As difficult as it may be, we must follow Jesus’ instructions and love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44) leaving vengeance in His hands. This is no easy task and can only be done by the power of God. Talk to Your Heavenly Father today. Release it all into His hands. He alone can help you forgive.