Psalm 17/35/54/63

Psalm 35:11-15

Malicious witnesses come forward;

they question me about thins

I do not know.

They repay me evil for good,

making me desolate

Yet when they were sick,

my clothing was sackcloth;

I humbled myself with fasting,

and my prayer was genuine.

I went about grieving as if

for my friend or brother;

I was bowed down with grief,

like one mourning a mother.

But when I stumbled, they gathered

in glee;

they gathered against me...

We find in these Psalms as David is on the run from Saul and those who seek his destruction a beautiful Old Testament precursor to the Sermon on the Mount by Jesus. Did not Jesus proclaim that we should love our enemy? This command is not just about His demand that we turn the other cheek, that we not respond to their provocation, that we not be drawn into a conflict, but also that we not resign to inaction. Jesus taught, and these Psalms did as well since they are all authored by the same Spirit, that we in fact act in response to contentious posturing against us, with love.

Paul exclaims in Romans 12:21 that we are not to be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. Notice that the text does not read that we are to avoid being overcome by evil by retreat but rather with a different sort of advance than one would expect, an advance of goodness, active, intentionality that brings a tangible, measurable gracious response.

Often this is confused with allowing ourselves to continue to be a victim. This is not the case. The Holy Spirit will lead us into acts of goodness and graciousness that maintain appropriate boundaries so that we are not vulnerable to the unscrupulousness of others. In addition, this does not mean that we do not pursue justice. Remember, God Himself disciplines those that He loves. Sometimes loving our enemy means holding them accountable for their actions. But there is a vast difference between holding someone accountable with a loving spirit, a gracious heart, a kind countenance and a cathartic pursuit of vengeance. The former seeks the betterment of the offender, the latter the satiation of a sadistic, ungodly desire that takes pleasure in their pain.

What do we do with the feelings that will surely come, especially in the face of egregious offense, feelings that tend to motivate us toward an ungodly response? We do what we do with all else, we bring those feelings to God. When Paul in writing to the church of Philippi exhorted that we should not be anxious about anything but in all things through prayer...he really meant in all things! Sometimes the "all things" are feelings we know are dangerous and the only antidote is expression, expression safely released in the audience of Him. If not, they will take root in our hearts and bear fruit that is unbecoming of a citizen of The Kingdom, a friend of Jesus.

In reading Psalm 17, 35, 54, 63...can you relate to these cries? One of the lessons we are continually working on with our children is that the misstep of someone else is not a permission giving moment for you to respond in kind. May we love our enemy and give our hurt to the only one who truly heals and in doing so, discover the wonder of both the offender and the offended being made whole.

Pastor Fred