Antidote for Evil

Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If possible, as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone … Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.  Romans 12:17-21

From Guest Blogger Kathleen Lane:

God’s people don’t fight fire with fire. This is the theme as we come to the end of this week’s Bible selections in Romans 12. “Do not repay evil for evil.” “Overcome evil with good.”

I don’t know about you, but I find these instructions challenging. My natural reaction — whether with my spouse, children, coworkers, or neighbors — when I feel offended, wronged, or attacked, I want to attack back. When I get hurt, I want to hurt that person back. Yet God clearly calls us to a different standard:  “Love your enemies,” Jesus said (Matthew 5:44). “Overcome evil with good.”

These concepts aren’t just hard; they are flat out impossible — at least in our human nature! Putting up a fight and getting even seem to fit better with our human pride and our sense of justice. An eye for an eye. Fight fire with fire. Revenge. That is our common response to evil.

So where are we to draw the strength necessary for the uncommon response of overcoming evil with good? We have the example and the enabling power of Christ. Even as He was being nailed to the cross, He prayed for His executioners, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).

Then, too, we know that our just and holy God is in charge even when evil people do evil things. God does not call us to set everything right with the world. Instead He tells us that all will eventually work out according to His justice. God will judge after His mercies have had opportunity to do their work.

God uses us to put His mercy and love to work in our evil world. His antidote for evil is love. He calls and empowers us for dispensing His antidote in our world.

Think of a conflict you have with someone.  How can you bring peace to the situation?  Where might God be calling you to share His antidote for evil?

Prayer: Father, instead of trampling evil doers with revenge, help me to lift them into Your presence by showing love. Amen.


#Uncommon

Boiling Point

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Romans 12:11

From Guest Blogger Kathleen Lane:

Can you imagine sitting in the stands at Lambeau Field and telling the person next to you “I couldn’t  care less who wins this game!”  Can you imagine high school students cheering during a basketball game, “Who’s gonna win? We don’t care!” It wouldn’t happen! Sports fans are enthusiastic. “Fan” is short for “fanatic”. That means they are intense. They are filled with fervor. They are on fire for their team.

In Romans 12:11 we are told  that our faith-lives should be filled with that same intensity. The words zeal and fervor are used to describe living the Christian life. Zeal is  enthusiasm, eagerness and determination. Fervor  refers to boiling or seething.

It is not uncommon for people to be full of zeal in our world. Zealous about sports, truth, excellence, or justice. We might be excited about a certain political candidate or about selling a product or service from our business. Think:  If we can be zealous for earthly, temporary things, how much more should we be fervent for God and His kingdom?!

Is your spiritual life at the “boiling point”? Is your spirit full of zeal for the things of God? Or do you become lethargic and sluggish in spiritual endeavors? Does your worship become mechanical? Does your discipline for prayer waned? Do you rationalize and make excuses when opportunities for service present themselves? Of course you do. We all do.

The good news is that God’s zeal and fervor do not fail. He enthusiastically pursues us. He eagerly forgives our failures. He is determined to carry us through to the completion of our salvation. He fills us with His empowering, fiery Spirit and raises our spiritual temperature, so to speak, so that we can worship and serve in uncommon ways.

Reflect on a time you felt “on fire” for the Lord. What was the spark? For our Lord’s disciples … they felt their hearts burning for God when they walked with the risen Christ, when they broke bread with Jesus (Luke 24:13-35). What can you do when your spiritual enthusiasm is low? Connect to Jesus again in His Word and in His sacrament.

Prayer: Lord, fill us with your Spirit. Lead us to serve you fervently. Amen.


#Uncommon

Party

I'm not exactly sure what it looks like, but it's got to be impressive, right? When heaven throws a party, I mean. When the angels celebrate, it has to be powerful.

I can't say what it looks like, sounds like, feels like. But I'm sure it happens. In Luke 15 Jesus tells three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son (prodigal son). And with each one, there's an all-out party to celebrate the finding of what was lost. "In the same way, I tell you," Jesus says, "there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

Those words are seared into my heart. They are deeply personal. At a time when I was far away from God, He used the words of Jesus in Luke 15:10 to tell me of His deep, deep love. When a pastor shared those words ... the angels PARTY over ONE SINNER who turns to God ... I thought: they are having a party ... for ME?!! Ever since, I've compared the feeling to what happens when you break into space in a vacuum. My heart was a vacuum. Empty. Cold. Lifeless. Then God pierced my heart; and His love rushed in. And the angels partied.

I trust that party is in full swing again ... if it has ever stopped. I just wish I could have seen it from heaven's side. It was powerful enough from my view. How much more in the view of angels?!

I had the amazing privilege this week of baptizing Timothy, a guy I've been praying for and talking to for the last nine months. Now, I can hear our Father saying: "Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found" (Luke 15:23-24). Party on, heaven!!

Glorious Freedom

In the Middle Ages, they had a type of prison cell called the "spitting cell." It was made for maximum humiliation. The cell was just big enough for one person to stand up in it. You could never sit down. And you couldn’t even raise your arms up — they were constantly down at your side. The door on the cell only came up to your chin, so the jailors took the opportunity, as they walked by, to spit in your face. So, of course, it was appropriately named.

They also had a cell known as the "little-ease cell," or the "cell of little ease," made for maximum discomfort. This was a one-person cell where the floor was built at an angle ... and the walls were all built at an angle. You would always feel "off-center." To make it worse, this cell wasn't tall enough for you to stand up in, and it wasn't wide enough for you to stretch out in. You could never get comfortable in this cell. If you wanted to be upright, you had to squat. If you wanted to sleep, you just had to let your body collapse and sink into a corner all scrunched up. Again, it was appropriately named.

Ever felt like you were trapped in a prison cell like that — maximum pain, maximum humiliation?

I know all kinds of people (some you would never guess) who are living in a prison of addiction, or a prison of regret and shame. Their past, with all their choices, has them locked up, captive to the devil, who works day and night to make them uncomfortable and humiliated. Maybe you're one of those people.

I've been digging into the book of 1 Kings in the Bible; and today I was reading part of King Solomon's prayer when he was dedicating the temple for the Lord. These words hit me:

"When [your people] sin against you—for there is no one who does not sin—and you become angry with them and give them over to the enemy, who takes them captive to his own land, far away or near; and if they have a change of heart in the land where they are held captive, and repent and plead with you in the land of their conquerors and say, 'We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly'; and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their enemies who took them captive, and pray to you ... then from heaven, your dwelling place, hear their prayer and their plea, and uphold their cause." (1 Kings 8:46-49)

A couple thoughts:

1) I believe that God has both the desire to save us from the captivity of our sin and the power to release us. He does not want us to suffer; although He will give us over to our enemy when we continue to choose bad over good. I believe God will allow us to be held captive, in order to turn us away from that "sin that so easily entangles" (Heb. 12:1).

2) We are never so boxed in that God is boxed out. I hear people saying that God could not forgive them and would not listen—they feel they've strayed too far. The truth is, however, that whether we are captive "far away or near," it is never too far that God cannot hear and respond.

3) You do not have to live in prison anymore! Here is the good news: Jesus Christ came to rescue us from the grip of the enemy, the devil, who tortures and kills. "The Spirit of the Lord is on me," Jesus says (Luke 4:18-19), "because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners ... to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Maybe you've spent this last year as a prisoner. Perhaps it's been the better part of a decade ... or most of your life ... that you've been captive to addiction, imprisoned by your own choices and the consequences of your actions. Have you had enough of the pain and humiliation? Call out to Jesus: "Set me free from my prison, O God, that I may praise your name!" (Psalm 142:7). Cry out to heaven, where God is never far away. He WILL hear your prayer and your plea. It won't all be better overnight. But God WILL respond. And He will begin to set all things right. "Behold," says Jesus, "I am making all things new" (Revelation 21:5).

**Thank you, Pastor Dean Nadasdy, for telling me about the medieval prison cells. Your illustrations always have a way of sticking with me.**

Spark

I don't know much about him. Not even sure if he's still alive. And I'm pretty certain he has no idea who I am or that he had such a powerful impact in my life. I only know him as "Pastor Lange"; and that in the mid-90's he was a guest preacher at a Lutheran church in Muncie, Indiana. I wasn't a member there. Hardly ever went to worship there. For all of high school and college I hardly ever went to any church, but I had grown up in a Lutheran church. So when I was struggling with life ... I went to check out the nearest Lutheran church.

Pastor Lange was filling in that day ... and as a preacher, he probably had his routine. He had obviously been doing this for years. He preached on Luke 15, the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin. And afterward, he went back home to wherever home was (which I think was out of state). Maybe it was the only time he ever preached in that church, I don't know. Probably he has long forgotten that sermon. But I haven't!

Pastor Lange shared these words of Jesus (v.10): "In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." Angels ... REJOICING! Over one sinner ...... over ME! Those words touched my spirit in a way that few words ever have. Those words ignited a fire in me that ultimately led me to be a preacher myself ... and to devote my whole life to touching the lives of other people with the GOOD NEWS that Jesus loves them too ... and throws a party in heaven when they come to Him!!

Something sparked that memory in me today ... and got me thinking of all the unheroic things we do every day. Things we don't think much about ... but just may be the spark that ignites faith in someone.

Jesus told his disciples: "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven" (Mt. 5:16). Perhaps it is as simple as a word of encouragement to a coworker or a shoulder for a friend to cry on. A small gift or a random act of kindness to a stranger. Maybe a prayer with your six-year-old who woke up scared from a dream. I believe it doesn't have to be big ... just letting the grace of Christ shine through you. But who knows! Maybe it's the spark that ignites a spiritual fire in someone ... and you won't know it ... until they run to thank you in heaven someday.