An Eye for an Eye

Christian Justice or Love Your Enemy?

Bible Insights Into Moral Dilemmas

How come “an eye for an eye” is found in the same Book as “turn the other cheek”? Did we suddenly get a new God when the New Testament was made?

Actually, this tension exists throughout Scripture. In a previous webpage we discovered that the Old Testament speaks of loving one’s enemy, and as we proceed we’ll increasingly discover just how much the New Testament speaks of God’s wrath and justice. So it’s not a case of God changing, but of us oversimplifying his message and reducing to a shadow the most magnificent Person in the universe; stripping him of an entire dimension.

The Almighty has always been a God of compassion and wrath, just as the Eternal Son of God has always been a “lion” and a “lamb.” Both aspects of God’s perfection go hand in hand. How can parents be unmoved when seeing children they adore, ruining their potential? How can anyone have genuine compassion for the exploited without feeling anger at those who deliberately exploit them? The Lord’s love of people and his love of justice are manifestations of the same passion. We see, for example, Jesus’ love compelling him to use a makeshift whip to prevent temple money changers from exploiting many people and disturbing the prayers of others (Matthew 21:12-13). This is the same Jesus who, rather than protect himself, let thugs torture him to death. The book of Revelation powerfully encapsulates the complexity of the divine nature when it speaks of the ferocious “wrath of the Lamb.”

Justice or Perish

Not only would it be illogical for God to say, “I love you, so justice no longer matters,” were he to adopt such an attitude, the Almighty’s entire reign would crumble. Justice is the very foundation of God’s rulership.

Psalms 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.

A commitment to justice is an inseparable part of divine perfection.

Exodus 34:6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, (7) maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” . . .

(Emphasis mine)

“An eye for an eye” comes from God’s description of the divinely ordained judicial system for ancient Israel. The Almighty is far too smart not to be intensely practical. He, better than anyone in the universe, understands the need for law and order in fallen humanity. He knows the chaos we would quickly slide into if there were no earthly justice. This is so vital that even though most people have never been protected by ancient Israel’s judicial system, the Lord of all has lovingly ordained that other institutions fill this role throughout humanity, right down to modern times and to your society.

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. (2) Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. (3) For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. (4) For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

1 Peter 2:13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, (14)or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right.

(Emphasis mine)

Perfect Justice

The Lord is always just and loving. He doesn’t suspend his love when he judges. Nor does he abandon justice when he is loving. As the Lord so beautifully told my friend, Jesus is a lamb with the heart of a lion and a lion with the heart of a lamb. In God are qualities so superior to our own and balanced to such perfection that human comprehension is left far behind.

Most of us know that salt – that uniquely tasty, essential-to-life substance – is a chemical blend of a poisonous gas and a substance that explodes in water. Either of those chemicals without the other is hideous. Similarly, if we were to separate love and justice, the result would be hideous. God is never like that, and we must endeavor to never be like that. God is that exquisite, life-giving blend of love and justice.

If you cannot imagine love turning hideous, picture parents who “love” their child so much that they sacrifice everything – even their child’s morals and his character development – to indulge his every self-destructive whim. We are so starved of the genuine article and so used to seeing foolishness, selfishness, pride and lust ruining love that we have little idea of how grotesque human love is. Likewise, divine justice is drastically removed from the hypocritical bursts of hate and selfishness that we pretend to be longings for justice. God’s justice is powered by love. It is as opposite of the offender’s motives as good is the opposite of evil.

The Almighty often delays justice in the hope of the offender having a complete change of heart that could radically change the dynamics of judgment. Nevertheless, Judgment Day is speedily coming.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (10) But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (11) Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives (12) as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. (13) But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. (14) So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (15) Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation

The One who came not to judge the world, will come again to judge the world (Scriptures).

The Lord’s earthly justice is a carefully planned measure to protect others by limiting the spread of evil and to motivate the offender to a change of heart. What we often forget – but God never forgets – is that punishment can never force a change of heart. For a change of heart to be genuine, it must be voluntary, or the person is still destined to eternal punishment. Earthly punishment can sometimes even be counterproductive. Because we only see this side of eternity, we rarely realize how effective kindness and deferred punishment can be.

The Almighty’s love fuels a wrath more terrifying than the worst nightmare. So passionate is his love for you that he is furious with those who have hurt you. The divine dilemma, however, is that to be fair, he must be equally furious with you, since you, like the rest of us, have hurt other people who are precious to God. The only alternative in the universe was for God to pour out his fearsome wrath upon the only truly innocent human – Jesus Christ. To spare you, not only did his only Son have to volunteer to suffer inconceivable horrors, but he also had to patiently endure you sinning over and over and hurting people until at long last you repented and sought forgiveness through Jesus.

People hurt us – as they did our crucified Lord – because God delays judgment and didn’t wipe them out before they touched our lives. Nevertheless, had God not been exceptionally patient in tolerating our ancestors’ sins, our entire family tree would have been wiped out long before we ever had the chance to exist. Moreover, anyone not exceedingly grateful for God’s reluctance to execute justice, has no conception of the hell we would suffer if we ourselves had been subjected to full and swift justice before we eventually accepted cleansing and forgiveness through Jesus. The Almighty is fair and loves each of us with equal passion. So for him to be as patient with us as we desperately need him to be, he must also be patient with others.

There are so many conflicting needs in this present world that for us to complain about divine justice is like children complaining about the rain that farmers are praising the Lord for. If we all knew long in advance, the exact date of our death, most of us would be even less likely to get right with God early in life. Like death, for maximum spiritual impact, earthly justice needs to be somewhat unpredictable. God’s justice in the here and now will seem imperfect – even chaotic – because what we currently see is like a barely begun work of art. Those granted an eternal vantage point from which to gaze upon the completion of God’s handiwork will be awestruck by the exquisite perfection of divine justice.

The Key Role of the Oppressed in Releasing God’s Judgment

We tend to wrongly presume that God’s sovereignty means he rules the world with little regard for our input. Most of us continually underestimate the key role of our prayers and actions in determining what God does in everything from nature (eg 1 Kings 8:35-39) and world affairs right down to events so minor as to barely touch one person.

There is a big emphasis in Scripture that whether God executes earthly judgment on oppressors (be they individuals or entire nations) is largely dependent upon the prayers, attitudes and behavior of the oppressed. Let’s look at a few biblical examples.

In the era of the Judges we see the cycle repeated over and over of the Israelites disregarding God’s ways and this leading to them being oppressed by people, followed by their cries to the Lord resulting in their deliverance.

Judges 3:9 But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, who saved them.

Judges 3:15 Again the Israelites cried out to the LORD, and he gave them a deliverer – Ehud, a left-handed man . . .

Judges 4:3 Because he had nine hundred iron chariots and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for twenty years, they cried to the LORD for help.

Judges 6:7 When the Israelites cried to the LORD because of Midian, . . . (12) . . . the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon . . . (14) The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”

Note in the following the pivotal role of the oppressed crying to the Lord:

Exodus 22:22 Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. (23) If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. (24) My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.  . . . (26) If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, return it to him by sunset, (27) because his cloak is the only covering he has for his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.

Deuteronomy 15:9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.

Deuteronomy 24:15 Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. (Emphasis mine)

In a divine summary of many different historical events we read:

Judges 10:11 The LORD replied, “When the Egyptians, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Philistines, (12) the Sidonians, the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you and you cried to me for help, did I not save you from their hands? . . .”

But God’s intervention is not automatic. The passage continues:

(13) But you have forsaken me and served other gods, so I will no longer save you. (14) Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!

Nevertheless, the people repented and the Lord once again delivered them. Not just the prayers, but the attitude of the oppressed is critical, as seen in such Scriptures as the following:

Proverbs 24: 17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice, (18) or the LORD will see and disapprove and turn his wrath away from him.

Romans 12:19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. (20) On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

The more righteous the oppressed are, the more it invites God’s judgment on the oppressors. If we fill with hypocritical self-righteousness, however, and wish ill upon our oppressors, the difference between us and our oppressors becomes so minimal that God could not, in fairness, bring his judgment upon them without doing the same to us.

When Stephen prayed for the forgiveness of those stoning him to death, he was not wasting his breath. It was a key factor in God’s treatment of his persecutors.

The Lord looks to us to take up the challenge of Christlikeness. He tells us:

Luke 6:27 . . . Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, (28) bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

He looks to us to suffer as Christ suffered so we can reign with Christ forever and so that those who have hurt us will – either through heartfelt repentance or divine punishment – regret the way they treated us.

Justice Now

Scripture is acutely aware that society needs law and order, and that although God’s longing for mercy and the need for justice usually pull in opposite directions, there are times when God’s love for the victim – or potential victims – must take precedence over his love for the offender (and we are all offenders). There are times when God needs to intervene this side of eternity, rather than waiting until the next life for injustice to be righted.

Ecclesiastes 8:11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Isaiah 26:9  . . . When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness.

Deuteronomy 10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. (18) He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Because kindness and an unselfish longing for justice reflects the very heart of God, he expects his people to act likewise. Just how important this is to him, is seen in such Scriptures as:

Exodus 22:21 Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him . . . (22) Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. (23) If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. (24) My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

It is our Christian duty to submit to civil law (wherever doing so does not prevent us from obeying God – Acts 4:19,20; 5:29) and most countries make it illegal not to report crimes. Moreover, other potential victims need protection from the offender; and other potential offenders, as an extra incentive to keep their sins in check, need to know that offenders are punished. So our loving Christian duty usually compels us to report crimes. Our motive, however, must not be revenge, bitterness or a self-righteous feeling of superiority, but genuine love for the offender, sorrow that justice is required and an acute awareness that we, too, are offenders.

Consider David, for example. When divine justice caught up with King Saul and he was killed, David was rescued from Saul’s murderous hands and given the throne. Nevertheless, this man after God’s own heart did not rejoice. Instead, he genuinely mourned Saul’s death (2 Samuel 1:1-27).

God punishes his children when they need it. Of course, this is done with perfection and as a manifestation of love; although it might not seem that way at the time.

Hebrews 12:5 And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, (6) because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” (7) Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? (8) If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. (9) Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! (10) Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. (11) No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

Since God disciplines his children, he expects us to do likewise.

Proverbs 22:15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him.

Proverbs 23:14 Punish him with the rod and save his soul from death.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.

However, this must always be done with wisdom, compassion and kindness.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children . . .

Colossians 3:21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

Even within the church there is a need for disciplining those who do wrong.

Matthew 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (15) If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. (16) But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ (17) If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: (3)  . . . I have already passed judgment on the one who did this, just as if I were present. (4) When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, (5) hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord. . . . (11)  . . . you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat. (12) What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?

The spirit with which this should be executed, however, demands great maturity of Christian character, as Paul explains:

Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. (2) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. (3) If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. (4) Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else . . .

Make Your Enemies Grovel at Your Feet

Though we act with love, gentleness and humility, dwelling within us is the greatest power in the universe. We will win.

Revelation 3:9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan . . . come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.

Isaiah 14:2  . . . the house of Israel  . . . will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors.

Isaiah 49:23 Kings . . . and their queens . . . will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.

Isaiah 60:14 The sons of your oppressors will come bowing before you; all who despise you will bow down at your feet . . .

Malachi 4:2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise  . . . (3) Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things, says the LORD Almighty.

Romans 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. . . .

Jesus is the trailblazer. He has established the pattern for every Christian life; becoming our role model. We are to take up our cross and follow him all the way through humiliation and unjust treatment to eternal exaltation. We are to imitate not merely a fragment of our Leader’s life, but the entire thrust of his divine mission – which was to humble himself, do so much good that he makes enemies, be treated unjustly by them, turn the other cheek, meekly suffer at their hands, even to the point of them seeming to completely triumph, and then be exalted forever, with every enemy bowing before him in either adoring love or abject fear.

Jesus, who loved his enemies till the end, took them all by surprise; turning what seemed utter defeat into astounding victory. Those who say, “Life is full of surprises” will be left without words when the next life reveals what God has been doing behind the scenes. Who would have thought a lamb could strike terror into the bravest hearts?

And yet he will:

Revelation 6:16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Call on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! . . .”

Jesus is the ultimate Victor because he abandoned human tactics, chose the way of love, and staked his life, reputation – everything – on the unlimited power of Almighty God. By imitating him, we become victors over all those who mistreat us, and receive eternal vindication and glory.

Scripture keeps telling us that this is our mission but we keep missing it because we are rightly so conscious that as a person and as an achiever, Christ is so beyond us that the notion of us emulating – in even the remotest way – what he achieved by suffering mistreatment is so mind-boggling as to seem preposterous – even blasphemous. If Christ were the world’s finest chef, the best of us would be playing in the dirt “baking” mud pies. The greatest follower of Christ is as far behind him as a tiny child playing at being a make-believe brain surgeon. Nevertheless, as off the scale as the eternal Son of God is, and as little as our persecution and unjust treatment can achieve relative to his sacrifice, he insists that we follow his lead.

Let’s look afresh at some of the diverse Scriptures that ram home how central and foundational this is to biblical Christianity. The verses might not be new to you, but don’t let a superficial familiarity with the words stop you from grasping their true significance.

1 Peter 2:20 . . . if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. (21) To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

1 Peter 4:1 Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude . . .

John 15:20 . . . ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also.

Matthew 10:38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

Luke 9:23 Then he said to them all: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’

Matthew 20:26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, (27) and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – (28) just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

1 John 3:16 . . . Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (13) Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

Ephesians 5:2 and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

2 Corinthians 1:5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

Luke 6:22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. (23) Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

Hebrews 12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (3) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Emphasis mine)

Scripture asks us not only to adore Jesus for his mind-blowing love and the stupendous achievements of his sacrifice but it implores us to build inside us the very same mindset that drove Jesus to defeat his enemies by letting them torment him.

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, (7) but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

More than just giving us theological insight into the nature of Christ, this teaches us, as followers of Christ, the value of voluntary humiliation. When people rejected him, James and John asked Jesus for his power to call down fire from heaven to destroy them. Of course, Jesus rebuked them because their attitude was so contrary to his own (Luke 9:54-55). Jesus’ glory was that although he had the power to call down fire on those who mistreated him, he chose not to. We also have power, no matter how oppressed and enslaved we may be. We don’t always have a choice as to what we suffer but we always have a choice as to how we suffer – whether we respond with love or hate; bitterness or sweetness. We always have the power to curse or bless – to secretly wish a person harm or good. Our glory is to follow Christ’s lead – or to put it another way, to let the Christ resident within us rise up – and consciously bless those who curse us, even, if necessary, to the heroic extreme of maintaining this sweetness while being tortured to death.

(8) And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (9) Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

It is astounding how often Scripture tells us to humble ourselves – to relinquish dignity we suppose we deserve – in order to be exalted (Scriptures). Like turning the other cheek, this is something Jesus not only taught but lived to the highest extreme.

Let’s continue with this passage:

and gave him the name that is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (11) and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

As implied in this powerful passage, there is no glory or Christlikeness in involuntary responses. For example, because rape is forced, it is morally neutral for the person suffering it (though, of course, for the rapist it is a grave offense). Where the choice – and hence the opportunity for glory – lies is in whether we let ourselves turn into a beast like the rapist – filling with hate and wanting him to suffer like he has caused others to suffer – or whether even in the face of extreme provocation we choose to remain sweet and loving and forgiving. We by no means condone or facilitate sin, but by refusing to let the sinner make us bitter and twisted like him, we refuse to let the sinner win.

For centuries before the event it was known to Bible readers that all his enemies would bow to the Messiah:

Isaiah 45:24  . . . All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.

Psalm 110:1 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

Psalms 2:9 You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.

What so many missed – despite it being prophesied – is the humble, loving, sacrificial path the Lord of glory would choose to achieve the defeat of his enemies. Likewise, the humble, loving, sacrificial path to our triumph over our enemies is spelled out in Scripture, and yet many Bible readers miss it.

The secret of the early church and of the revival in modern China and in certain other places and times is summarized in these words: if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him (Scriptures).

Fake Christianity supposes we can escape this fundamental truth and somehow reign with Christ without suffering with him. In contrast, the yearning of Paul’s heart was to share in Christ’s suffering. It is the pinnacle of spiritual intimacy.

Philippians 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings

Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

In this yearning to share in Christ’s suffering, Paul was not on some Christian fringe. It is at the heart of authentic Christianity.

Acts 5:40 . . . They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. (41) The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. (42) Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

1 Peter 4:12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. (13) But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. (14) If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.

You have probably heard people say, “I’ve read the end of the book and we win!” But have you read that before the end we, like Jesus on the cross, to all appearances seem to lose?

Revelation 13: 6 He opened his mouth to blaspheme God . . . (7) He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them . . . (10) If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.

Doesn’t Paul, with his appalling list of beatings, incarcerations and shipwrecks seem like the biggest loser? He was so filled with faith in the final victory that when we are reading his writings we gloss over all the times he didn’t even have enough to eat (Scriptures) and was repeatedly deserted by Christians and continually criticized, opposed from even within the church. This is the man who said “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

Despite the short-lived gains of aggressors, the meek will inherit the earth.

Wrap Up

By piecing together many Scriptures, this picture emerges:

The very Person whom our sins callously murdered is the Judge of all humanity. The Judge loves not only us, despite our sins, but he loves those who have hurt us, despite their sins. He will show us only the degree of love and mercy that we show those who shamefully treat us.

Matthew 7:2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

“Give and it shall be given unto you,” is a principle of divine justice so fundamental that it applies to almost everything. Just how all-embracing is this principle, is demonstrated by Jesus applying it even to the attention we give to divine revelation. “ ‘Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. ‘With the measure you use, it will be measured to you – and even more.’ ” (Mark 4:24).

Whatever we sow into people’s lives – be it generosity, kindness, mercy, goodness, forgiveness, gossip, condemnation, harshness, anger, violence, and so on – we shall reap in our own lives.

Psalms 18:25 To the faithful you show yourself faithful . . .

Proverbs 11:17 A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself.

Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Whether we see a shadow of it in this life does not change the fact that we will finally end up with thirty, sixty or even a hundred fold of what we have sown. Our future is in our hands. If we sow strife, that is what we will receive many times over. “They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). If, instead, we sow kindness, that is what we will reap from God in abundance. Whoever is faithful with little will be given much. Whoever is unfaithful with little will lose much.

Scripture is plain that not even those who escape hell will escape this aspect of divine justice. Some, upon entering heaven, will suffer devastating loss and some will receive rewards too extravagant for earthly words.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

1 Corinthians 3:12 If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, (13) his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. (14) If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. (15) If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

Scripture speaks of us judging angels. Then the passage continues:

1 Corinthians 6:7 The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? . . . . (9) Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? . . .

Do you suppose the Lord will entrust the huge responsibility of judging angels to those who have proved themselves too intoxicated by greed, selfishness or spite to be impartial in their judgment of those who have hurt them? God is looking for people driven by love and humility. These are his choice of people to rule with him for eternity.

Ultimately, forced obedience achieves little, and God wants love, not slaves. What our wise, loving Lord longs for in his enemies is not just changed behavior but a change of heart – repentance. God’s favorite way of bringing people to repentance is through kindness (Romans 2:4) and patience (2 Peter 3:9). Nevertheless, in some instances, discipline, affliction and even punishment can produce a change of heart.

Psalms 119:67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.

Psalms 119:71 It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.

The way we treat those who hurt us should be as courageous as turning the other cheek, and as selfless as going the extra mile. We should be as reluctant to see our enemy hurt as we are to see ourselves hurt. As we sometimes need to drag ourselves to the dentist, however, so there could be occasions when there is no option as loving as reluctantly allowing something unpleasant to happen to an enemy in order to help him avoid worse trauma later on. That’s a scary option for us because it involves us thinking ourselves wiser and more moral than our enemy. God judges those who think themselves better than others. He exalts the humble but cuts down the proud. If we get it wrong – or even if we get it right but let a wrong attitude seep into our hearts – we are in grave danger. We should avoid like a landmine treating someone we dislike with anything but gentleness and kindness unless we are certain before God that love requires it of us.

God’s longing is to save his enemies from the judgment they deserve. He wants everyone saved and no one to perish (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). The Lord will grieve deeply over everyone who continually spurns his love and ends up in hell. They are not God’s failures. God knows only success. Those who end up in hell are their own failures. They chose not to accept God’s meticulously planned way for sinners to find restoration and righteousness. Had it been God’s plan to force everyone into heaven, he would have achieved that. Such a place would not be the heaven we will enjoy, however. It would either be the same mess as earth, where there is killing, stealing, lying, and other evil, or it would be a place of slavery where people lose freedom of choice.

The need for mercy and to love our enemies is immense and you’ll find it highlighted in three webpages: Christian Revenge, Love your Enemy and Heap Burning Coals on his Head and Turn the Other Cheek. Nevertheless, there is also a divinely recognized need for justice. Knowing when we should execute justice and when to show mercy is a perplexing dilemma demanding much prayer and divine wisdom.

Since God longs for the rescue and restoration of his enemies, so must we if we are to be friends of God. We have the certainty, however, that when we do things God’s way then either by a dramatic change of heart or by an eternity in hell, those who have treated us badly will suffer deep remorse for their actions. Nevertheless, the key issue for us is whether we will suffer remorse or, by responding in a Christlike way to those who mistreat us, rejoice in triumph forever.

Other Important Pages On This Topic

Turn the Other Cheek A significant and moving poem

The Righteous Lust for Vengeance God’s commitment to pay the price of justice

Where was God When You suffered Unspeakable Horrors?

God Isn’t fair? How could God be fair when some get an abundance and some get a raw deal?

Damned by God? Forgiveness and restoration is the goal of far more harsh prophecies than most of us realize