38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.42 Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. (Matthew 5)
Jesus continues to flow naturally from one command to the other. After warning us to watch our words in terms of promises, He moves on to "negative promises" or threats, like "I'm going to get you", which deep down mean "I will never forgive you." The one who always lives for retaliation (who also often is one who struggles with the already mentioned issues in this chapter) is so bent on harming those who have hurt him/hurt that he/she hurts everyone in their path - even those innocent parties who need help. It is a matter of having a hardened heart. If we allow those who abuse us to harden us, we are the one who suffers, and makes others suffer who have no part in us being hurt. We need to stop seeing ourselves as the victim who deserves revenge. Yes, we may have been hurt and deserve repentance and maybe even restitution, but never revenge. That belongs to God alone. And the truth is, if we receive revenge, we will find it does not truly satisfy, because anything we were not created to do will not be fulfilling. Take the higher road. Learn to forgive. Let God fight for you. Be more concerned about defending other victims than yourself. Do not let the hard things in life harden your heart.
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