Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Be A Blessing; Inherit A Blessing

"Today's Devotion" For January 18, 2006

Read: Matthew 5:38-48; I Peter 3:8-12

BE A BLESSING; INHERIT A BLESSING

"Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." (I Peter 3:9)

Have you ever heard the expression, "proportional response?" Over the years the television program, "The West Wing," that expression was brought into play a number of times. It was used as a description of U.S. response to attacks by another nation on United States' interests overseas. As I remember it, one such scenario required a response to an apparent Libyan act of terrorism. The President had a number of courses of action, but not doing anything to retaliate wasn't one of them. He finally made the decision to bomb a Libyan government building late at night when only for a couple of maintenance workers were in the building (who, obviously, if the attack was successful, wouldn't see their families again). Agonizing over what was the right thing to do, especially in the face of his own anger at the dastardly actions of the terrorists, the President responded with what his chief of staff called "a decisive, proportional response."

Last night, watching the television program, "Commander In Chief," a similar type of situation occurred. A U.S. nuclear submarine, operating clandestinely just outside the territorial waters (twelve-mile limit) of the Republic of North Korea, had an accident and ended up at the bottom of the ocean. Her drift pushed her inside the "twelve-mile limit" and rescue operations immediately got dicey. As the situation escalated and tensions tightened a United States AWACS radar plane, flying outside of North Korean airspace was attacked by North Korean fighter planes. An immediate, measured, and proportional attack was recommended to the President who made the decision to wait and try to accomplish a peaceful solution.

And that what she did. After much negotiation, putting the entire military structure on alert, and frightening the world at an potential, nuclear confrontation, the matter was resolved peacefully, the crew was saved, and all classified equipment and papers aboard the sub were destroyed. As a matter of honor and integrity, rather than turn her promise of giving an apology to North Korea for the sub's violation of its territorial waters into a negotiating "ploy," the President followed through with the apology, even though strongly advised against it.

I'm not going to discuss the ostensible purpose of "Commander In Chief" to portray the competence of a woman as President of the United States. What is important, however, is how, as exemplified by these two scenarios, Presidents might respond in real life to provocative and potentially deadly situations that involve our nation's enemies. No doubt our Presidents have similar situations occur more often than we'd really like to know. For those of us old enough to remember the Cuban Missile Crisis, we know how close the world came to a live, nuclear confrontation.

What is very important in looking at these scenarios is how we find ourselves responding to evil. Some would say that we should always and only be kind to evil, putting the blame for the evildoers' supposed anger over the "injustices" they've faced on our shoulders, and doing everything possible to keep the peace and give them what they want. Others contend that the only way to confront evil is to "fight fire with fire," and retaliate with even more brutality than what they've inflicted. In some ways that thinking has crept in to some of the things that have taken place during the war on terrorism. In both Iraq and Afghanistan charges have been levied concerning improper, unethical, and morally repugnant behavior, such as torture, against prisoners of war and terrorism suspects, including the maltreatment and humiliation of prisoners in Abu Gharib Prison and captured terrorists in other locations.

While war, terrorism, and even criminal behavior at home might require us to respond with force at times, a God-pleasing response is always to seek the best for all parties involved. If the use of force is required then it shouldn't be used as retaliation but for protection and to achieve justice and good order. It's really easy for any of us to return the hatred of others with hatred and slap them harder and more often than they've slapped us. Too often, rather than such a response bringing a lasting, peaceful solution to the problem, escalation takes place - evil isn't willing to negotiate except on its own terms and to the detriment of those it seeks to destroy. Even God's people are susceptible to repaying evil with evil, curse with curse, and hatred with hatred.

In the face of such evil and the pain it brings upon the world, God calls us in Jesus Christ to be His instruments of peace and blessing to the world. While God doesn't call us to turn a blind eye to sin and evil, He does call on us to trust Him to guide us in how we are to deal with them. In Genesis 12:3 God promised Abraham that "all the nations of the earth would be blessed" through him. This blessing was accomplished, finally, when God took on human form in the person of Jesus Christ and He paid the ultimate, once-for-all-time price for the sins of the world in His obedient life and innocent suffering and death.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to be a blessing to the world, as Abraham was promised by God. Reflecting God's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness in Jesus Christ to the world by how we live and speak brings God's blessings upon people everywhere. God blesses people through us, as He promised Abraham, "I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse" (Gen. 12:3).

So, how then do we respond to evil? God calls us to be a blessing and promises that as we live in Christ we will inherit a blessing. Following in Jesus' footsteps we call upon God's Word and Spirit to give us the strength, understanding, patience, and trust necessary to respond in love to evil and hatred, rather than with hatred and retaliation which are our natural, sinful responses to such acts against us. Does that mean we should never use force or exact justice? No. What it means is that if it becomes necessary to respond with force and bring justice upon a situation it should be done, according to the rule of law and with love, not hatred. At all times we seek to have the good of even our enemies at heart, rather than their destruction. It's the example we have from our Lord Jesus Christ. It's an example that's hard to follow but for which God prepares us and strengthens us through Holy Baptism and by the power of His Word.

We don't want to turn a blind eye to evil. It must be addressed - that's why Jesus suffered and died for our sins. At the same time we address evil with the power of God's love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness, always with a heart filled with love for our enemies, not curses, and hope for their redemption, not destruction. God calls us to be a blessing to others in Jesus. He promises that we will inherit a blessing in Jesus. So all of our live revolve around Jesus whose example we follow and whose Gospel we share.

Prayer: Gracious Father, You promise that You will hear the prayers of the righteous. As I have been made righteous by Christ, hear my prayer and help me to be a blessing to others as Your redeemed child in Jesus Christ. Help me to face evil with resolve, not fear, with love, not hatred, with purpose, not chaos, and with Your peace in my heart. Let my response to evil and hatred be proportional to Your love for me in Jesus and the power of Your forgiveness in my heart. Guide my heart to seek the best for others and Your blessing for all. By the power of Your Word and Spirit strengthen my resolve to live for You and touch others, even, and especially, my enemies, with Your love every day. In Jesus' precious name I pray. Amen.
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright @2006 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.

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