As we continue to take a look at the way Jesus loves us, and intends to love through us, we come to the complex issue of how we experience another person’s failure, loss, hardship and/or exposure. What do we feel when we see or learn of a calamity happening to one of our enemies, or simply to someone we don’t like? Do we get a certain degree of pleasure and joy in their suffering? Do we relish the position of power we gain when we tower over someone who has tumbled? If so, the gospel needs to bring our hearts to a different place.
Certainly gospel-love longs for the Day of justice and hopes for the Day when all evil will be eradicated but none of us has the right to vengeance. Vengeance is the property of the Lord, and he has committed himself to making all things right. Ours is to love as we are loved-wisely, carefully but never vindictively.
Paul experienced this kind of radical love early in his experience of being a follower of Jesus. Can you imagine what it must have felt like for Ananias to be sent by God to care, pray for and commission a blinded, struck down Saul of Tarsus? (Acts 9:1-19) Saul, who would become Paul, did evil things, EVIL things, to Christians, and now he has been brought low and blinded. How good that must have felt to Ananias and other Christians who suffered under this man’s arrogance and cruelty. What but the power of the gospel could have enabled Ananias to address this mean man as “Brother Saul”? (Acts 9:17).
Gospel-love isn’t involved in a cover-up, but it does “cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). Like Noah’s sons, we should seek to hide the sins of others, and then help them make things right (Gen. 9:20-23). Long deeply for justice, but always, always, revoke the perceived right to revenge.
A personal application: I guess this means I’ve got to repent of relishing, too much, the moments when Duke University, the dark kingdom, loses basketball games or it’s recruits to other schools, like the good guys, The University of North Carolina. (Just kidding, sorta!)