You don’t have to search very hard to find songs, books, movies, and shows based on the theme of revenge. Plot lines about characters retaliating for wrongs committed against them are plentiful. Just do a quick internet search and you’ll find a variety of titles to entertain you and tutor you in the art of revenge. It’s human nature to want to get even, but it’s not biblical. Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount makes that clear:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:38-42, NIV)
Jesus counters our natural desire to retaliate. This new interpretation of an Old Testament command separates the responsibility of the government to punish evildoers justly from our personal responsibility to love our enemies. We’re not called to seek retribution for personal slights and are told to ignore personal insults (that’s the meaning of “turn the other cheek”). One commentary explains, “Christians must be willing to give more of their material goods, time, and labor than required, even if the demands upon us are unjust. We should loan to those who want to borrow, love our enemies, and pray for those who persecute us. Enforcing ‘an eye for an eye’ is the magistrate’s job; forgiving our enemies is ours.”1
The commentary continues: “Jesus’ limiting of the ‘eye for an eye’ principle doesn’t prohibit self-defense or the forceful protection of the innocent from harm. The actions of duly appointed agents of the government, such as police officers and the military, to protect citizens and preserve the peace are not in question. Jesus’ command to turn the other cheek applies to personal relationships, not judicial policy. The principle of ‘an eye for an eye’ is meant as a judicial policy, not as a rule for interpersonal relationships.”2
Turning the other cheek also doesn’t imply pacifism. It’s simply a command to refrain from retaliation for personal offenses. Jesus wasn’t setting government foreign policy, just calling His followers not to worry about defending their personal “rights” or avenging their honor.3
The next portion of Jesus’ teaching is equally challenging:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor: and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:43-48, NIV)
When someone hurts us, our natural reaction is to protect ourselves and fight back, but Jesus calls us to a higher standard. He exemplified this by never retaliating when someone wronged Him, which happened many times. His own people rejected His message (John 1:11); religious leaders mocked and tried to trap Him (John 8:6); His family was ashamed of Him and tried to make Him stop preaching (Mark 3:21); His friends deserted Him when He needed them most (Mark 14:50); the city who had cried “Hosanna!” when He arrived on Palm Sunday shouted “Crucify Him!” a few days later (Mark 15:13). So, when Jesus said to pray for our enemies, He knew what He was talking about.
Jesus provided the perfect example when He was being nailed to a cross. In the middle of His agony, He cried out, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34, ESV). Jesus had compassion on the people who believed they were doing the right thing by killing Him. By pointing out that they didn’t know what they were doing, He showed us several important factors that reveal how to pray for our enemies:
1. Opening Spiritual Eyes: We can pray that God will open the eyes of their hearts that they will be enlightened about truth (Ephesians 1:18). When enemies set themselves against us, they lack understanding. They are reacting from the flesh instead of responding from the Spirit. We can pray that God will open the eyes of their hearts to see us and others through the lens of the Lord’s love and wisdom.
2. Repenting of Sin: As we struggle with our enemies, we can pray for their repentance. When we pray for our enemies to repent, we know our prayers are aligned with God’s will because He also desires their repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
3. Keeping a Soft Heart: When we pray for our enemies, we can ask that our hearts will remain soft. Perhaps the Lord wants to use us to accomplish His plan in the lives of our enemies. “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1, ESV). When we return anger for anger, wrong for wrong, we put ourselves on the same level as our enemies. But when we respond with kindness, gentleness, and mercy, the situation is often diffused. Nothing is more convicting than a gentle response to a hateful, rude action. It’s what turning the other cheek is all about. Satan desires discord, so he tries to stir up our fury and goads us to respond in kind. We should pray that God keeps our hearts soft toward those who offend us so that His goodness will be revealed to them through us.
4. Aligning with God’s Will: Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10, ESV). It is always right to ask that God’s will be done in any situation. We should pray that He’ll enable us to want what He wants. If He desires to bless our enemies, we want that, too. If He wants us to serve our enemies in some way, then that’s what we desire. Prayer is the aligning of our wills with God’s; when we pray for our enemies, we need to wrestle through our emotions until we truly want God’s best in their lives.
Praying for our enemies is not a natural response to their mistreatment of us. But remembering that we were once enemies of God ourselves, and that we are now His children should change our perspective. We can intercede for others who need the Lord’s help and guidance. Doing this keeps our own hearts free from bitterness (Hebrews 12:15). In praying for our enemies, we become more like Christ, and we keep ourselves aligned with God’s will, which is how we strive toward being perfect as He is perfect.4
Quotes and content of this post are a compilation of information from the following articles:
1. https://www.gotquestions.org/eye-for-an-eye.html
2. https://www.gotquestions.org/eye-for-an-eye.html
3. https://www.gotquestions.org/turn-other-cheek.html
4. https://www.gotquestions.org/pray-for-your-enemies.html
This post also complements the sermon by Ryan Suzuki at CPC Danville. Click here to watch.