Dear Friends.
Revenge is never a wise response to a hurtful action. The story is told of a wise old Alabama farmer and a shrewd New York lawyer who got into an argument over the ownership of a duck the lawyer had just shot. The duck that fallen to the ground was on the side of a fence on the farmers property. When the lawyer went to retrieve it, the farmer claimed since it had fallen on his property, the duck belonged to him. A heated argument ensued.
The lawyer threated the farmer reminding him that he was a high-priced lawyer from New York City and that he would sue him for everything he had if he didn’t give the duck to him. The argument became more intense.
The farmer suggested a way of solving the dispute. He said in Alabama they had a three-kick rule to settle such legal disputes. The lawyer had never heard of the three-kick rule, so he asked the farmer about it. The farmer said, “Each side gets three kicks and after the three kicks the one who is still standing wins the dispute.”
The young lawyer agreed thinking he could easily take this old famer who is now hobbling down from his tractor.
The farmer says, “I will go first,” and he proceeds to kick the lawyer in the groin as hard as he can. The lawyer is dazed, but he manages to get up from the ground. The farmer then kicks the lawyer a second time, this time in the kidneys. The lawyer winces in pain but again manages to get to his feet. The third time the farmer delivers a kick to the lawyer’s face which breaks his nose. The lawyer struggles to his feet, but in spite of his pain he is reveling in the opportunity that it is now his turn to exact revenge on the old farmer for what he has just done.
The lawyer says, “I can’t wait to get even with you," and just as he gets ready for his first kick, the old farmer says. “That won’t be necessary. I quit. You win. The duck is yours" as he climbs back on his tractor.
It has been said that “Revenge is a monster-each act like a boomerang that comes back at the thrower,” and how true that is. The only way that one can break the cycle of revenge is through forgiveness, the kind that we see modeled on the cross by our Savior who reached out to those who had just put him there, and cries out, ““Forgive them for they don't know what they do.” That kind of forgiveness is never easy. But its alternative- not forgiving - will eat away our strength and ultimately destroy us.
Paul writes, “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. 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 (Romans 12: 17- 19.).
The Life Application Bible writes that these verses “summarize the real core of Christian living. If we love someone the way Christ loves us, we will be willing to forgive. If we have experienced God's grace, we will want to pass it on to others. And remember, grace is undeserved favor. By giving an enemy a drink, we are not excusing his misdeeds. We're recognizing him, forgiving him, and loving him in spite of his sins- just as Christ did in our case” (p. 1989).
Revenge doesn't accomplish anything. “If we allow our hatred for those who have wronged us to go unchecked, it will eventually destroy us. We will follow our bitterness all the way to hell” If Experience Is Such a Good Teacher Why Do I Keep Repeating the Course, J. Ellsworth Callus, 1994, P. 113.
Yours in faith and friendship,
Tom
P.S. Remember, "He who seeks revenge, digs two graves." Chinese Proverb
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