He Did Not Retaliate

When the guy cut across two lanes of traffic without any sort of a turn signal, while he was talking on his phone, you wanted to honk your horn and let him know without a doubt that you saw what he did. You are convinced that he looked in his mirror and saw that it was you and intentionally tried to ruin your day. If you get the chance, you will let him have it.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When the young guy in the car pulled up behind you while you were stopped at the light, he had the bass on his stereo so loud that your windows were vibrating. You wanted to stick your head out the window and yell, “What makes you think everyone in this part of town wants to listen to your music?” He probably could not hear you if you did.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When a co-worker publicly humiliated you with an unusually critical comment about a decision you had made, you wanted to fire back at him with an equally ugly comment about how this man made his own share of mistakes, and beside that he has a mustard stain on his tie.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When you were greeted first thing on Monday morning by an email from your supervisor pointing out a typo in the project you had sent her, you wanted to respond with an email of your own highlighting every typo she had ever made in every email she had ever sent you.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When your wife offered an alternative route to your destination, you wanted to remind her that she was in the passenger seat and you were in the driver’s seat.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When your idea falls flat as a pancake in the team meeting, you wanted to remind them of your title and your years of experience.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When your neighbor got upset because of something that a visitor in your home had done, you want to ask him, “Well, who died and made you boss of the neighborhood.”

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When you realized that your playing partner had not counted all his strokes on the last hole, which meant he had a better score, you wanted to remind him that golf is a gentleman’s game for men of integrity … like you.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When your wife revealed that she has had an affair, you felt so betrayed that you wanted to tell her to leave the house, and words cannot describe what you would like to do to the man she had the affair with.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When you learned that your business partner has lied to you, cheated you, and put the future of your company in jeopardy, you wanted to take him to court and sue him for everything you can. You wanted to ruin him.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When you discovered that people you loved and respected had been spreading vicious ugly rumors about you and your family, you wanted to go public with what you know about them and set the record straight once and for all.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When the less qualified new employee got the promotion that you had been working for, and hoping for, you wanted to do everything you could to make her life miserable and prove it was a mistake.

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."

When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls (1 Peter 2:23_24 NIV).

In this life we will be treated poorly, we will be overlooked, we will be betrayed, we will be lied to, we will be taken advantage of, and many times it will seem that life is unfair and it is our duty to set it right. Many in this world would applaud the action of retaliation and revenge and assure us that we are justified in everything. It happens every day. Some would say, “It is the only way to survive and not get run over.” But, Jesus is our example and

"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate."