I have a guilty pleasure and it is the TV show Revenge. The arch of the story is a young girl impersonating someone to weild her way into a rich family in the Hamptons. This family is responsible for framing her father and ultimately causing his death.
As you watch the show, you see her revenge is consuming her life. In the season finale she confronts the hired man who actually killed her father. She had planned on killing him, but in a flashback to her father she remembers something he said to her as a child. After the flashback she does not take the ultimate revenge.
Fortunately for us, Jesus teaches us to forgive and follow his example. In our daily life, we do not have to worry about who killed someone, but it could be a slight at work or someone cutting us off on the highway. For us, we turn the other cheek and forgive and pray for them. This is not always easy, but it is obedience. The act of forgiveness frees our soul from spiritual death.
I love this portion of the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Lord Jesus, help me to love like you love us all.
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