Revenge is...?

Passage: Psalm 37

It’s our tendency to want to give our troubles a human face. “I’m suffering because of (name); The country’s going to pot because of (name); I lost that job because of (name).” It’s true that there are times when someone specific has hurt us – deliberately or inadvertently. There are people who act as agents of evil in our lives and in our world. Our natural response is to want to do to them what they’ve done to us; to see them experience the same suffering they’ve caused. This desire to bring retribution can easily consume us. It’s easy to get obsessed with the business of vindication.

God has always warned his people to steer away from this obsession. “In fact,” says God, “one of the defining features of my people is to curb the revenge instinct.” The Psalms deal regularly with two kinds of people: the righteous, and the wicked. What distinguishes these two types is not primarily a propensity for morality (or immorality). It’s a connection with God. The righteous are defined not as morally superior, but as wholeheartedly committed to God. Where the wicked recruit whatever means possible to get ahead, the righteous rely on God. Where the wicked are obsessed with amassing resources and power at all costs, the righteous are convinced that God will provide and protect. The righteous hear God’s promises, and live accordingly.

The Psalms have a lot to say about our desire to see evildoers get theirs. Psalm 37 puts this instinct in the proper perspective. In the same way that the Psalmist trusts God to provide the necessities of daily life, he also trusts God to measure out justice. The Psalmist says, “Don’t worry about the wicked. God is keeping track. It’s not your job to punish the people who have hurt you. That’s God’s job.” The Psalmist goes so far as to say,

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. (Psalm 37:8)

Those of us who have contemplated revenge know the wisdom of these words. The desire to see evildoers suffer draws us into the same web of evil that entangles our enemies. It sucks us in and consumes us, emptying us of the very quality that defines the righteous: dependence on God.

One more facet of the wisdom of Psalm 37 is this: whereas our suffering is at times directly attributable to someone else’s actions, more often it is not. Often we unjustly target someone as the source of our troubles. When we’re hurting we are rarely well-equipped to distinguish whether or not that person is genuinely to blame. Imagine for a moment the damage done when we obsess or act upon the desire for revenge when in fact the object of our obsession is innocent. The pursuit of revenge too often unleashes a cycle of violence that takes on a life of its own. God says, “Let me sort it out. Not only do I offer the most just punishment, I know better than you who deserves it. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil!”

Choose the path of righteousness. Be, as the Psalmist urges, a person of peace. Leave the administration of hurt to the evil; leave the administration of justice to God. Trust him to take care of you and your enemies.