No retaliation

I'm not very good at turning the other cheek. It's not that I get even, but I'm not inclined to take a lot of guff. When people start in on me, I can usually find a way to make them back off.

Sometimes that seems like a good thing. After all, this is America, where we admire rough individualism, where a man is expected to stand on his own two feet, to pull his own weight, not to need help from anyone. Our society doesn't think much of you if you let others get the best of you.

That's not Christlike, though, not the way Peter describes Christ. 1 Peter 2:23-25: "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."

Jesus let people dis him; he let them hurt him, and he never said a word. It takes a tough man to do that. It takes a huge amount of self-confidence to let other people yammer at you and not respond. And it takes patience and tolerance. In Jesus case, it also was love; he took a lot from people because He loves us. Kind of like when a long-suffering wife excuses what her husband does when he's drunk, Jesus knew that we behave badly because we're under the influence of Satan.

So what's a guy to do? What Jesus did: " . . . entrusted himself to him who judges justly." Trust God, the ultimate fair Judge. That worked for Jesus because he had nothing to lose or fear from being judged; He was perfect. It works for us because of what's stated in verses 24 and 25: Jesus already took the judgment for our sins.

So there's no need to retaliate, nothing to gain by striking back. I'm covered, my judgment has been made, in my favor. That frees me to be concerned about the other person, and what I can do to help him.