Vengeance

Vengeance
by Pete Berardi

Unfortunately in this harsh, dog eat dog world, people do bad things to each other. Whether a person physically harms another or one of his loved one’s, infringes on his personal rights, steals from him, or any other misconduct, the reaction for most people is to take revenge. The feeling of revenge I believe stems from two things. One, the victim has the feeling that he is being taken advantage of and needs to protect his dignity and pride. Two, the victim wants to regain what he has lost. Everyday millions of dollars are spent on high priced lawyers who are hired to take vengeance upon another. Gang warfare in our cities is mostly motivated by vengeance. Vengeance is a vicious circle with dire consequences and can be compared to the family feuds in folklore. Vengeance can be never ending and can cause irreparable harm to all that are involved.

With God none of this has to be the case. As Christians we are taught that God will take vengeance for us against any who hurt us. One of the first acts of vengeance in the Bible involves Moses and one of his Jewish brothers. His Israelite brother was being attacked by an Egyptian and Moses did not stand for it. He killed that Egyptian and took vengeance for his Israelite brother. This is very symbolic of what God does for us. The Israelite people of the Bible are a symbol for who God’s people are today. Moses is a figure of God. The Egyptian represents the world who seeks to take advantage of the Christian.

The Bible refers to vengeance several times. It gives the reader clear instructions on how to react when someone wrongs you. Romans 12:19 states: avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay saith the Lord. As Christians we are to give up all of our rights that we are entitled to in this world. We are to trust that God is watching over us and will protect us. For a Christian to take revenge upon another is a sin. Matthew 5:5 states: Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Jesus’ teachings dictate to us that we are to not take vengeance for ourselves as well. Many of us are familiar with Matthew 5:39 which reads: Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

This may seem foolish to many. Many in the world would say that this philosophy on life will only lead to misery. By living like this one would be taken advantage of constantly and will be a failure in life. I disagree. I believe that our sole purpose in life is to please God. If the Bible says for us to not take vengeance, to turn the other cheek, and to rely on God for our protection, then I feel that is the best attitude to have.

From a practical standpoint, someone has to stop the vicious circle. If everyone continued to take vengeance on people that wronged them with no forgiveness, the world would be filled with hate and violence. By following God’s suggestions in the Bible, we can promote peace and good will towards men. Our true reward will come when Jesus returns for his chosen people and takes us to heaven with him.