For most of my life, especially before I became a Christian, when it came to disagreements with others, I lived by the rule, “don’t get mad, get even.” I made sure to even the score when someone got the better of me, either passively or actively.
I suspect most of us are like that to some degree. Who doesn’t cheer for the hero of a movie or novel who triumphs over all odds and pays the bad guys back after they thought he was down for the count?
Regardless of our political persuasion, something inside resonates with a more “Trumpian” approach, hitting the other guy harder than he hits us — it’s the American Way, isn’t it?
I’m BAAaaack!
The famous line, “I’m BAAaaack!” from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character in The Terminator, comes to mind when I think of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If ever there was a man who had scores to settle upon his return, it was Jesus Christ.
» Hounded mercilessly and eventually roundly condemned as a charlatan by “his own” religious leaders
» Sold out for a pittance by one his most trusted confidants
» Strongly denied and denounced by one of his best friends, Peter
» Betrayed and vilified by the Jerusalem crowds who had once hailed him as their king
» Fast-tracked by the Roman “justice” system, stripped of his legal rights, and his few possessions stolen
» Pitilessly beaten and subjected to the most heinous form of execution Rome had to offer
» Crucified publicly between two low-life felons, stripped naked, mocked and cursed by passers-by
» Most gallingly, abandoned by his closest friends, who had previously sworn their undying allegiance
Broken faith, shattered trust, and outright treason — if it was me, heaven help them all. I’d be settling scores, pouring out wrath and leaving no survivors.
But this was no Terminator, nor was it me (or you, for that matter). It was the Lamb of God, and He had been on an entirely different mission altogether and only He knew what it was. Up to that point, his followers were operating under sealed orders and had to trust their leader even in the face of His apparent utter defeat.
Jesus Christ was many things, but He was never predictable, especially to His closest followers.
Think about it: He was born of a virgin, named by God as His beloved Son, commanded the elements (calmed the sea, walked on water, turned water into wine, raised someone from the dead), performed many miracles (caused the blind to see, the deaf to hear, the lame to walk and the mute to talk), exerted His authority over the Devil, attracted massive crowds away from religious imposters, repaired the ear of one the soldiers seeking to capture Him, remained silent and did not defend Himself at His trial, went to His death as a lamb to slaughter, called out to God from the cross to forgive His tormenters, and invited a lifetime felon to join Him in heaven (“today you will be with me in Paradise”).
Excuse me, but this was no ordinary Joe!
But nowhere was He more unpredictable than in His behavior and attitude toward His friends and enemies upon His return to earth in resurrection.
Now keep in mind, this was God, the God of all gods. Gods aren’t supposed to play nice. After all, they hold all the cards. The gods ancient people were familiar with, of the Roman empire, and those of predecessor empires in Greece, Babylon and Medo-Persia were not likable fellas. They were capricious, uncaring and often required payment in the form of immolated children to appease their anger.
But from first contact to last, the resurrected Jesus was magnanimous, forbearing and incredibly loving. He was especially gracious to those who had failed Him the most, especially Peter, who denied Him three times when it really counted.
The Apostle John characterized Jesus this way, “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”1
The kind of love exhibited by this gentle visitor from another dimension drove out darkness, defeated enemies and conveyed the blinding light of truth and holiness. Nothing was ever the same after He came knocking.
Love Weaponized
Once Jesus ascended into heaven, 40 days after His resurrection, He deputized His followers through the power of the Holy Spirit to go forward into a decidedly hostile world and do likewise. They were to turn the then-known world upside down — not at the point of a sword — but through the power of love.
Turning the other cheek simply doesn’t satisfy our so-called animal spirits as much as a good old-fashioned donnybrook, complete with uproar and disorder. Yet there it is, Christ’s moral imperative to turn away from what feels good and take a higher — and lonelier — road when confronting human darkness.
Paul put it this way, “Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”2
Talk about counterintuitive!
An Astonishing Future
So, would surrendering our rights to get even, exact revenge and even the score be worth it in the end? The Apostle Paul poetically paints the future for every true believer in Christ:
“We know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven — God–made, not handmade — and we’ll never have to relocate our ‘tents’ again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move — and so we cry out in frustration.
“Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.”3
You bet it’s worth it.
— D.C. Collier is a Bible teacher, discipleship mentor and writer focused on Christian apologetics. A mechanical engineer and Internet entrepreneur, he is the author of My Origin, My Destiny, a book focused on Christianity’s basic “value proposition.” Click here for more information. Click here for previous columns. The opinions expressed are his own.
1. John 1:4-5 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
2. Romans 12:20-21 The Message (MSG)
3. 2 Corinthians 5:1-5 MSG