Read Matthew 5:38-42.
But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil. (Matthew 5:39).
Jesus is a revolutionary teacher. He turns the world upside down for those who accept his teaching. When once you have accepted the Jesus Christ message, all values change radically.
The old law was that whatever man did to man, he should himself be made to suffer by way of punishment. If he put out another man’s eye, his own was put out by the officers of justice; if he killed, he was killed.
The desire to “get even,” to get one’s own back, to level things up somehow or other, when we have been hurt or have suffered injustice, or witnessed things of which we did not approve, will remain with us until the time when we definitely take ourselves in hand and destroy it. “Revenge,” said Bacon, “is a kind of wild justice.”
Now Jesus reverses this and says that when someone injures you, you are to forgive him. No matter what the provocation may be, and no matter how many times it is repeated, you are to loose him and let him go, for thus only can you be freed yourself.
The best ways to compound the damage done by a hurt or an injustice is to hold a grudge, try to get even or strike back. As much as we may want to judge, exact revenge or “make things right”; the simple fact is that these actions will make things worse for the aggrieved.
The simplest and surest way to end the hurt and stand up for what is right is to forgive and move on. That does not mean we should ignore a threat to us or those we love. It does mean that we are to forgive those who wrong us and turn to God for balancing the scales.
When we free ourselves from the prison of anger, judgement and justice, we have ended the hurt, eliminated future pain from the incident(s) and overcome its power over us. Then, we can once again smell the roses, experience joy and peace while conquering that which could hurt us further. Then God will reveal the garden around us and grant us relief and release so that we can soak in all the hope and love that is waiting there for us.
Rising above resistance,
Z gardener
Good Morning Garden 
Leave a comment