Here's the transcript to a sermon I gave this Sunday just gone at St Johns. Any feedback appreciated :-)
How do you feel when someone wrongs you? When someone does something wrong to you, how do you feel? It can be big or little things. When people say things that are hurtful, when you have been abused, physically or verbally, when you were cheated out of winning scrabble? How do you feel?
People are a pain aren’t they? When people have wronged me in the past, I’ve often repaid them likewise. During my time in Lancaster University Christian Union, I ran the technical team, and clashed with some lovely, but at times annoying, musicians. They would not turn up on time; they would change instrument arrangements, and not give me the song words on time. My response, as later related to me by my successor, was to go out of my way to annoy those that annoyed me.
Maybe I should have looked more carefully at our passage this morning!
Just to give us some background. Paul is writing this letter to a church in Rome. He writes that he is not ashamed of the gospel or the good news, for that news is God’s power to save from His wrath and anger , which Paul tells has been shown against all mankind , and that not one person is good, understands, or seeks God at all. All have turned away, and no one can save themselves .
Yet God demonstrates His love and shows His mercy in sending Jesus , who takes that wrath in our place by dying on a cross . By faith alone , He is our substitute. We are now dead to our rebellion against God, called sin, and slaves to righteousness, that is, obedience to God . Yet we are not perfect, and the fight against sin rages on and on . But, there is hope at the end of time, when Jesus will return. We yearn for it as we share in His sufferings now, knowing that God is at work for the good of those who love Him. He is growing us to be more and more like Christ, by His Holy Spirit, and nothing can separate us from that . He has always been at work, having chosen us before we were even born to be His children. He is that merciful.
That was the first half of the book. The second half begins then at chapter 12, verses 1 and 2 which read: - “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
In view of God’s mercy; that is in sending Jesus to die for them, Paul tells the Romans to offer their bodies as living sacrifices. To give up their whole lives in service to the God who died for them. This is their worship. Not just their music, their church going or good works, but their whole lives, all of the time, as God works in them, transforming them and growing them.
His focus now, is the Christian’s practical response to God’s mercy. Having looked at how to treat believers and non-believers , his attention is now on how the Romans are to treat those who wrong them. This is something He has already begun to address back in v14 which reads: - “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” With this idea in mind let’s look at our passage with our first section: - live in peace.
V17-18 – Live in Peace
Have a look with me at v17:- “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
In view of God’s mercy, the Romans need to demonstrate that same mercy to those who wrong them. This is a very important thing. Be careful to do it, says Paul. Why? Because it is not what God has done to us. Imagine if He repaid our evil with evil? It is what we deserve. Yet He didn’t. He showed love and mercy. “While we were still sinners: Christ died for us”, says chapter 5, v 8. In view of such mercy, they need to show that same mercy, even to those who don’t show it to them. They need to be doing what is right in everybody’s eyes, and as much as possible, live in peace with everyone. This seems a near impossible task. It can be hard getting on with those close to you, let alone everyone else. When I was younger, my dad got into a fight with a neighbour, over the height of a perimeter hedge! The police were called and everything! It shows doesn’t it, just how easily we can disagree with anyone. Yet Paul commands, in view of God’s mercy, for the Romans to do right in everybody’s eyes, and live as much as possible, in peace. Because God is merciful, peaceful and loving, and He wants His followers to be like that, in response to what He has done for them, even towards those who have hurt them. Notice what it is not saying. Tempting as it is to read doing right in everybody’s eyes as an excuse to compromise living godly lives in favour of keeping people happy. That is not what is going on. Think of the context from which we are dealing. In view of God’s mercy, doing what is right. Not what everyone thinks is right. And doing it when possible, for of course Paul recognises, as do the readers; that not everyone will appreciate, nor reciprocate our acts of peace.
Conducting themselves in such a manner will mean some ways of dealing with wrongdoers are denied them, which brings us on to our second point:- Revenge is God’s.
V19 – Revenge is God’s
Revenge is up to God, Paul says in v19: “19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” They are urged to leave room for God’s wrath, to let God administer judgement. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men” says Paul back in chapter 1. Mankind is all under judgement anyway, and has no moral ground to stand on above each other. ““It is mine to avenge; I will repay”, says the Lord.” This is taken from a book in the Old Testament called Deuteronomy. God here is talking about judging His people Israel, who have rejected Him. How does this fit in? Well, Paul spells out crystal clearly in the letter that not one person is good and that God’s just anger has been revealed against all mankind . Therefore, what right do any have to avenge those who have wronged them, when God has seen fit to send His only Son, as the substitute, who takes God’s anger from us onto Himself? It is God’s job to judge. Not the Romans’. He is just, and His wrath fully deserved by all. Yet, in His mercy, He has saved some.
It is very easy to feel hard done by, and vengeance is an idea that permeates our culture. For example, I don’t know how many of you follow the comic hero Batman. But he is someone who created his persona driven very much by vengeance. In some cases, vengeance is law. I wonder how many of you have heard of Ameneh Bahrami, a very beautiful Muslim girl. One man desired her, and she turned him down. He avenged himself by throwing acid in her face, permanently disfiguring her. Under Sharia law, this man was sentenced to have the very same thing done to him, by his victim. Paul doesn’t want that in this, or any church. What right have they to judge? On what moral basis do they stand? None, like all men and women, all they have to stand on, is the grace and mercy of God alone. Do not take revenge, leave room for God’s wrath. Let Him do the work of judging, because only He can and has the right to.
What Paul calls the Romans to do instead is a stark contrast, which brings us on to our final point:- overcome evil with good.
V20-21 – Overcome evil with good
Have a look with me at v20:- “On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Here is how the Romans are to treat people. They are to show mercy: feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, show kindness and compassion to the weak. Why? Don’t they have enough problems to deal with? Well, I wonder what state the world would be in if God thought along those lines. He held back nothing, but gave up His one and only Son, to die an innocent death, to save us, the weak, the powerless, and the ungodly.
This section contains another Old Testament quote, this time from Proverbs 25, practical advice for the believer, under God. Again, don’t read this as a to-do list in order to please God. Remember, this is all written to be done, in view of God’s mercy. Because He has shown us the ultimate example of mercy and love in Jesus, the Romans are to respond in likeness towards others, in and out of the church, and not just with well wishing, but physical, practical love, perhaps opening their home to people, reaching out to those in need, all the time showing the mercy of God to them in their lives, by acting mercifully to those around them. It can be a powerful witness, showing, as well as explaining what God has done for us in Jesus.
This is not just for anyone though is it? Have a look back at the verse again: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” We cannot read this as a superficial ‘be nice to people’ kind of passage. This love and mercy is to be shown to the enemies that the Romans face; those that persecute them, hate them, wrong them. What a challenge! It is a natural ingraining to want to get your own back on those who have upset you. But no, says Paul. In view of God’s mercy, be merciful to your enemies. “For by doing so you will heap burning coals on his head.” It is God who judges, it is not the job of the Romans to take their revenge on their enemies. That is up to God. Repay their evil by showing God’s mercy. Their deeds will be unmasked, and justice will be done. It’s hard to see exactly what this means, but we know it can’t be vindictive, lest it contradict what has already been said. Don’t be overcome by evil, tempting though it is, but overcome the evil done, by doing good in return. Show God’s mercy, and win them to repentance.
App and Imp
From this, let’s think through some implications.
We have seen all the way through how the readers at the church in Rome were to take this passage. They were to respond in view of God’s mercy, by following these commands that Paul gives. But it is not just for them is it?
If you are a Christian here this morning, listen to these words. We too are believers, once under God’s wrath and now saved by the blood of Jesus alone. What Paul asks of the Romans, I think he can ask of us too.
Let’s return to our question at the beginning; how are we when we are wronged? Naturally, we do want to get our own back, and the world seems to be ok with that. How are we when someone upsets us? I know for me, it’s really easy to get them back with the same kind of thing. What a challenge this passage is then, to repay the evil done to us with God-given mercy. Feed and clothe our enemies? Most of the time we wish to vanquish them and take our revenge on them, just like in the films. That is what the world wants us to do. For how often are criminals looked down upon by us? “I’m not a Hitler, Goebbels or a Gadaffi” we say. Yet, what right have we to judge, and take revenge? Under God, we all stand equal under judgement, and equal under mercy.
Back to Ameneh Bahrami. She was told to repay her attacker with the very same evil done to her. However, she did not. She pardoned him. Or the story of Kathy Diosy, a Hungarian Jew who suffered much atrocity under Hitler. After turning to Jesus for her forgiveness, she forgave Hitler. This of course does not belittle their suffering, or anybody’s, even people in here today. All of us I’m sure have suffered because we have been wronged. Yet, what was the response of the Lord Jesus as He hung on the cross? “Father, forgive them.” Indeed, He died so that we can be forgiven.
We want to repay wrongdoers likewise. How much we hate to forgive, and how much we love revenge. But no, God’s word tells us to be counter-cultural, by modelling the mercy of God, to those who show us anything but.
How radical this is, and how much will it make us stand out? But this is what this passage tells us to be like. Back in v2, we are told to no longer conform to the pattern of this world, and doing this is just that. For what a powerful witness this is. In view of the gospel, show it off, and by God’s grace, some may be brought in, by that same mercy.
If you are not a Christian here this morning, firstly, we’re so glad to be able to welcome you here today, and secondly, how do you feel about this passage? This response of the Christian, saved by Jesus death, is to respond with mercy to those that wrong them. How different, how…frankly…odd. Yet this is the way of the cross. We have all treated our God and Father evilly. But, He responded with mercy, sent His Son to die for us, and has indeed overcome evil with good. I invite you to consider the claims of Jesus, and hope this shows that for the Christian, it is not about doing good things, or judging others. But no, it is responding alone to the mercy that God has shown, by Christ dying for us on a cross, and bringing us into a new relationship with Him.
To sum up then; because of Jesus death then, we need to exhibit that same mercy in face of adversity. To repay evil with evil is to be overcome by evil. But, to repay evil with good, in view of God’s mercy, is to indeed overcome evil with good. We’ll just have a moment of quiet; perhaps have a think through of how practically this passage will work for you in your life? Who are those who wrong us, and how can we love them with this God-given mercy? And then I’ll pray.
Father God,
Thank you so much for the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Thank you for showing us mercy in the face of our evil, and thank you that you are just in your judgement. Father, in your mercy, please help us to respond to your mercy, by showing mercy to those that wrong us. Help us to model your gospel to those who hate us, and by your grace, would it cause them to consider the claims of Christ, and too receive your mercy.
In Jesus name,
Amen.
