Paybacks

There used to be a saying in the Infantry that paybacks are hard (actually, most soldiers used a different H word, which could also be relevant to these reflections). It was meant as a warning; mess with the Infantry, expect payback.

This morning, though, I thought as I read Peter how true that statement is, but in the opposite way soldiers meant it. If you engage in paybacks, things get hard for you, and may even lead to that other H.

Listen to Peter (1 Peter 3:8-12): "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. 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. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.'"

That's why it's wrong to use someone else's bad behavior to justify our own - that's repaying evil with evil. Jesus followers don't get even, Peter says. Our Lord expects us to be a blessing to everyone, no matter how they treat us. That's how we inherit the great blessing of salvation.

This passage suggests that vengeful people should not expect to love life, they shouldn't plan to see good days. In fact, they could wind up with the Lord's face against them. By contrast, God's ears are attentive to the prayers of those who respond to insults with blessings.

That's scary. Paybacks are indeed hard - on the ones delivering them.