The way to freedom passes through the Cross
Text: Romans 12:17-21
"Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do
what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on
you, live peaceably with all. 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.’ 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.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and
from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Part I: The Law – The Mirror
Beloved in Christ, we are halfway through the year. Easter
is behind us. The green season of the Church stretches ahead—a time for growth.
And in this ordinary time, the Holy Spirit gives us a very ordinary, yet
excruciatingly hard, assignment: Other people.
Listen to Saint Paul. "Repay no one evil for
evil." "Live peaceably with all." "Never avenge
yourselves." "Overcome evil with good."
When you hear those words, what happens inside you? If
you're honest, your heart doesn't leap with joy. It groans. It resists. Because
the world is not peaceful. People cut you off. People gossip about you. People
you trusted break your heart. Even in the Church, there are harsh words and
wounded feelings.
The Law holds up a mirror. Look into it. What do you see?
You see someone who wants justice. You see someone who likes
to be right. You see someone who, deep down, enjoys the thought of the other
person finally getting what they deserve.
The Law demands: "Do not be overcome by
evil." And we must confess: Lord, I am overcome. I
am overcome by anger. By resentment. By the secret desire for revenge.
We are stuck. We cannot lift ourselves out of this mire by
our own strength.
Part II: The Gospel – The Freedom
But when we are at our lowest, when we admit we cannot live
peaceably, the text pivots. It shifts from what we do to
what God does.
Saint Paul writes: "Leave it to the wrath of
God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’"
At first, that sounds like a threat. But for the poor sinner
drowning in the desire for revenge, this is a life raft. God is saying: "You
are not the Judge. You are not the Savior of the world. You are not the one who
has to balance the scales. That job belongs to Me."
And here is the Gospel in the darkness: If God holds the
right to vengeance, that is terrifying—until you realize that God poured out
that vengeance upon His own Son.
On the cross, Jesus was betrayed with a kiss, mocked by His
creatures, and nailed to a tree. And He said, "Father, forgive
them." He was overcome by the ultimate evil—the sin of the whole
world—and He absorbed it. He consumed it in His own body.
And then He rose from the dead. He overcame that evil with
the ultimate good: Resurrection and the forgiveness of sins.
Do you see? The command is a mirror, but the cross is the
medicine.
When Paul says, "Never avenge yourselves," he
is not just giving you a rule to grit your teeth and follow. He is giving you a
promise. He is saying: Because of Jesus, your name is written in the
Book of Life. The wrath of God no longer hangs over your head. It was poured
out on Christ. Therefore, you don't have to defend your reputation. You don't
have to avenge your honor. You are already honored. You are already loved. You
are already declared righteous in My sight.
You are free. You are free from the exhausting
burden of being God's avenging angel. You are free to let go of the grudge
because the one who hurt you will answer to a higher court—a court that is both
just and merciful. You can hand it to the Father and leave it there.
Part III: The Imperative – The Freedom to Love
Now we come to the fruit of the Gospel. Because you are
saved by grace, because you are free from wrath, you are now free to do the
impossible: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty,
give him something to drink."
This is the Imperative. It is not a law to earn salvation.
It is the oxygen that proves you are alive in Christ.
Notice Paul's careful wording: "If possible, so
far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." This is
important. The peace of the world is not a guarantee. You cannot force someone
to stop hating you. You cannot make peace if the other person wants war.
God does not demand that you be a doormat. He does not
require you to place yourself in harm's way. He simply says: "As
far as it depends on you... do the loving thing."
"Heap burning coals on his head." This
is not a sneaky way to get revenge by being nice. In ancient times, a poor
person carried a small fire in a clay pot on their head to keep warm. If a
neighbor gave them burning coals, it was an act of profound kindness that
shamed the neighbor for their cold heart.
Paul is telling you: "Overcome evil with
good." And the Good is not just niceness. The Good is Jesus. The
Good is forgiveness.
How does this look in a mid-year life?
You have a colleague who took credit for your work. The Law
says, "You deserve vindication." The Gospel says, "You are
already vindicated in Christ." The Imperative says, "Next time that
person needs help, help them. Let them take the credit. They might see Jesus in
your selflessness."
You have a family member who wounded you deeply. The Law
says, "They don't deserve your love." The Gospel says, "You
didn't deserve Christ's love, but He gave it anyway." The Imperative says,
"Send the card. Make the phone call. Not because they deserve it, but
because Christ is alive in you."
When you do this, you are not just being "nice."
You are acting as an ambassador of the Kingdom. You are showing the world that
there is a different way to live. The world says, "Hit back, get even,
maintain your honor." The Church says, "Let go, forgive, and overcome
evil with good."
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters, this is the life of the Trinity
season. It is a long season of growth. You will fail at this. Tomorrow, you
will probably fail at this. The anger will rise. The desire for revenge will
burn in your gut.
When it does, don't run from the text. Run to the Cross.
Confess your anger. Let go of your vengeance. And let Christ—who was wounded
for your transgressions and bruised for your iniquities—fill you again with His
peace.
Because He has overcome the world. And because He has
overcome your sin, you are free to walk out of this sanctuary and, as far as it
depends on you, live at peace.
And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment