17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 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.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
The natural response to hurt is retaliation. We want the person who wounded us to feel what we felt. But revenge keeps us travelling on the same destructive road.
Jesus offers a radically different direction: overcome evil with good.
This does not mean calling evil good or refusing to confront wrongdoing. It means we will not become like the thing we oppose. We entrust justice to God and choose responses consistent with the character of Christ.
Goodness is not surrendering to evil. It is defeating evil without allowing evil to reproduce itself within us.
Every act of patience, blessing, generosity and restraint becomes an act of spiritual resistance. The cycle can end with us. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, anger does not have to write the next chapter.
What would overcoming evil with good look like in one difficult relationship?
Jesus, keep me from returning injury for injury. Give me courage to confront what is wrong without becoming consumed by anger. Let Your goodness overcome evil through me. Amen.
