Romans 12:17-21 Relationships With Our Enemies

In these verses, Paul helps us learn to deal with relationships with our enemies.  The world would tell us to fight back when we're attacked or when we are offended.  So that can't be God's answer.  My commentary mentioned that Jesus, Paul, and the other apostles all ran into enemies wherever they went.  "Jesus warned His disciples that their worst enemies might be those of their own household!"  So we shouldn't be surprised when people dislike us even when we are nice to them!  We never need to create enemies because we lack love and patience, and by being unfaithful to our witness.

Paul tells us here that we mustn't play God and try to avenge ourselves.  "The Christian must live on a higher level, and return good for evil ... This requires love, because our first inclination is to fight back.  It also requires faith, believing that God can work and accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of those who hurt us," my commentary said.

It mentioned a pastor's response to a friend who wanted to fight back against an untrue verbal assault:  "If you defend yourself, then the Lord can't defend You.  Leave it in His hands."  When we face having to live out these verses, "Surely we need to pray and ask God for love as we try to show kindness to our enemies.  Will they take advantage of us?  Will they hate us more?  Only the Lord knows.  Our task is not to protect ourselves but to obey the Lord and leave the results with Him."

I've always wondered about the true meaning of the last part of Proverbs 25:21-22 that Paul quotes here:  "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink.  Doing this will be like pouring burning coals on his head."

I would imagine that pouring burning coals on someone's head would have the immediate effect of taking their minds off of the relationship problem.  But it would seem that, after a healing time, the scars and pain would lead them to want revenge.  My commentary said, 'The coals of fire refer perhaps to the feeling of shame our enemies will experience when we return good for evil."

Paul ends the chapter by saying, "Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good."  Sometimes it's hard to do, but it's something God commands, and we must surely try.

Father, thank You for Your Word today.  I pray that, despite my quiet time lapse, You in Your great wisdom prepared these verses for me today for a reason.  Help me to watch for it.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford