Self-flagellation, self-aggrandizement and judicious retribution…
God is at work in me.
Conflict and broken relationships are only a heart beat away when we respond to insult with self-flagellation, self-aggrandizement, and/or vengeful retribution. We need to remember that as Christ followers, we are loved and justified (present and past tense) in Christ, not by our own actions or words. It is His glorification that we must must be committed, not our own. It is ok to be insulted and disrespected (example: Christ’s silence before the Sanhedrin). We must silence ourselves, turn from evil and respond with good because judicious retribution is in God’s hands. Our lips, in response to criticism and insult, should be filled with blessing, not equal and opposite (and maybe apposite) insult.
We will ultimately be blessed and glorified on that future day, but for now, we should trust in Him, not ourselves.
“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:8-9
“A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult.” Proverbs 12:16
Rob
Comments
In "Jesus for President," by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw, Jesus's suggested responses to insult and injury are reconsidered in an interesting way that I had not heard before. For instance, turning the other cheek, assert Claiborne and How, is not just a way of allowing the enemy to strike you again. Apparently, in the culture of the time, you would only backhand slap a servant, slave, beggar, etc. Meanwhile, you forehand slapped someone of equal cultural status with whom you were fighting. So, when your right cheek was slapped, it meant that the person was treating you as, essentially, less than human. Turning your other cheek was not just a way of silently putting up with personal abuse and insult. It was essentially say, "I'm not going to respond to your insult and attack back with more violence, but I am going to force you to treat me as an equal. If you are willing to hit me as an equal, go ahead, but I will not allow you to treat others as beneath you."
I
t seems to me that what you say is absolutely true and that we have no reason to respond to insult with "self-flagellation, self-aggrandizement, and/or vengeful retribution," but perhaps we should have ways of responding constructively instead of silently putting up with it. It seems that turning the other cheek is really a way to teach the striker a lesson on how to treat others (i.e. a radical lesson about the socially equalizing love of Christ). So how do we actively respond without self-aggrandizement and/or vengeful retribution; that's the trick, it seems to me.
By the way, have you read "Jesus for President," yet?
Brian
V ...Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:19 Until I saw your blog post, I thought this was a weird word/verse to use for Pre-School kids! God's timing is funny, isn't it?
Thanks for sharing!
Jenny