From the obnoxious upper classmen bullying my freshman son to the ignorant social "progressives" flaunting their sinful lifestyles all around. The devil-may-care back-stabbers who never matured beyond Jr High and the arrogant power mongers who never will.
You may think "jerk" is too harsh a word for a Christian blog, and well it may be. Jesus called the Pharisees "white-washed tombs," "hypocrites," "snakes," and sons of Satan. Use those terms if you wish.
Whatever you call them, they're out there.
What do we do about them?
We're all fighting a hard battle (so be nice to everyone, as the ancient saying goes). How much harder the battle for the ungodly and the sinner? That was Peter's take of Proverbs 11:31 which in the NIV reads, "If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!"
How much more indeed!
Because, you see, it is not ours to decide what to do about them. In fact, we are to do nothing at all about them, at least not in response or retaliation to wrongs against us. It's not ours to avenge. That's God's work (Deuteronomy 32:35).
The righteous will receive their due. So will the ungodly and the sinner.
Leave them be.
Or better yet . . .
Yep, here it comes. Love your enemies. Those hard words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44. The parallel passage in Luke 6:27, 28 goes on to say not only love your enemies, but do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Come on, God! Really?
I'd rather take a Sharpie to those particular passages of the Bible than a highlighter.
I'm fine leaving the revenge to you (if I must). But doing good to those who hate me? Blessing those who curse me? Praying for the good of those who mistreat me and mine?
That's too much to ask!
Until I remember . . .
The nails in the hands of Jesus put there because of my sin. The crown of thorns. His forgiveness. Of me.
Then, maybe . . .
Maybe it isn't too much to ask.
Maybe, if it's this hard for me, how much harder for the ungodly and unforgiven?
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