Dear Friends of "Dial Daily Bread,"
Psalm 22 tells us of Christ's agony of soul as He hung on the cross--not just the physical pain (that was awful enough!), but the soul agony of bearing "the curse of God," enduring hell on our account. Psalm 69 also describes His enduring hatred throughout His life (vss. 7-12), and on the cross (vss. 17-21), but now there's a different element added: He cries for vengeance on those who have abused Him. "When I was hungry, they gave Me poison; when I was thirsty, they offered Me vinegar. ... Strike them with blindness! ... Pour out Your anger on them; ... May their camps be left deserted; may no one be left alive in their tents. ... Keep a record of all their sins; don't let them have any part in your salvation. May their names be erased from the book of the living; ... " (vss. 21-28, Good News Bible).
Now, here's a problem: how can you reconcile those dreadful imprecations with the prayer of Jesus at His cross: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do!" (Luke. 23:34)? Both that prayer and those imprecations are the words of Jesus! And both prayers were answered by the Father! He forgave them then, but forgiveness is more than blinking the divine Eye and saying, "I don't care what you do, murder My Son, that's OK with Me!"
God's forgiveness includes the actual removal of the sin from the heart, which is through accepting His enormous gift of repentance. And some who crucified Christ did repent--apparently the Roman centurion, for one. But those who did not accept repentance on the Day of Pentecost but hardened their hearts, suffered every iota of those divine imprecations. The human urge for redress, for justice, is not evil; it is inspired by the Holy Spirit. God is greatly concerned for justice! "To crush under His feet all the prisoners of the earth, to turn aside the justice due a man [or woman] before the face of the Most High, or subvert a man in his cause--the Lord does not approve" (Lam. 3:34-36).
But what's the key in understanding this apparent contradiction in Jesus' prayers? (1) It is right to protest injustice, for Jesus did (John 18:23; Matt. 26:55). (2) We are not to exact our own redress or vengeance, because our inborn love of self will cause us to act unjustly. "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls" (Prov. 24:17). (3) Leave the revenge to the Lord to work it out. "Do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord" (Rom. 12:19). (4) Trust Him to take care of it; He did for Jesus--all too thoroughly. Consider the later history of His murderers. Let's trust Him, too.
--Robert J. Wieland
From the "Dial Daily Bread" Archive: June 21, 1999.
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