“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die” (The Princess Bride, 1987).
"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next” (The Gladiator, 2000).
Yes!! There’s nothing like a good revenge story. The scenes described above are among my all-time favorite cinematic moments. However, they do not narrate an approach to life that is helpful for the follower of Jesus. For Esau, Cain, Joseph’s brothers, King Saul, and even Inigo Montoya, a life bent on revenge did not lead toward life. Revenge took these characters down a road littered with sadness, violence, addiction, conflict, and even death.
Here’s the deal with Obadiah. The people of Edom followed the sins of their Father, Esau. Esau started down the road toward getting even when he began comparing himself with Jacob, his twin brother. Although they were twins, these characters could not be more different. Jacob’s natural bent caused his Momma to love him more than Esau, who was naturally drawn to his Father’s love (See Gen. 25.27-28). These differences, that don’t necessarily have to be divisive, proved to be more than the twins could handle. They made the choice to allow their differences to define them. Furthermore, their differences began to define their relationship. When Jacob looked at Esau, he was always the one daddy loved best! When Esau looked at Jacob, he was always the one who received the blessing that belonged to him!. The same was true for Saul who always eyed David as the one who stole his kingdom. A similar tune was sung by Cain who looked at his brother, Abel, as the one who stole God’s favor from him! Each of these stories ends in tragedy for the ones who followed comparison down the road of revenge. Brothers and sisters, comparison is dangerous. Stop playing with it! Only when we have said no to the temptation to compare, are we prepared to listen to and obey Jesus’ words.
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you (Luke 6.27-28, ESV).
Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you (Luke 6.37-38, ESV).
Brothers and sisters, not only has Jesus been given all authority in heaven and on earth, he also created you. He knows you better than you know yourself. He also proved through his life that he knows how to navigate this broken world bent on getting even. According to Jesus, revenge and getting even lead to destruction - to a life that is not worth living.
What situations are causing you to compare yourself with others? It’s likely these situations are causing the blackness of pride or envy to dwell in your heart. Please, say no to comparison. Please, listen to Jesus, the one who knows you best and loves you most!! When we listen to Jesus, the words of the Six-Fingered Man from The Princess Bride might begin to make sense.
“Good heavens! Are you still trying to win? You’ve got an over-developed sense of vengeance. It’s going to get you into trouble some day” (Count Rugen)!
Take a listen to our exposition of Obadiah.
Here’s what I’m reading.
Participating In God: A Pastoral Doctrine of the Trinity by Paul S. Fiddes. This book explores the how the topics of prayer, suffering, forgiveness, death, the spiritual gifts, and the sacraments, intersect with the doctrine of the Trinity.
Deuteronomy: NIV Application Commentary by Daniel Block. This book will form the foundation for our new exploration of Deuteronomy on Wednesday nights at 6pm in room 104. Please join us!
No comments:
Post a Comment