Wrongfully Accused

Not fair!

Two words I’m sure everyone of us has said at some time. Two words I’m sure all of us have thought, maybe even recently.

If I pulled out a bucket full of cash and started handing it out, how would you like me to divide it between everyone? If I gave some of you fifty dollars, some of you twenty, and then a few got a hundred would you all be happy? Would those of you with twenty dollars feel ripped off that you didn’t get fifty? If you had fifty, would you be happy that at least you didn’t get twenty, or would you be miffed that someone else got a hundred?

And if you got a hundred, would you even think about those that got only twenty? Or would you be happy that you were lucky enough to get the highest amount given?

You see, we all want fairness. When we are treated what we feel to be unfairly, our first reaction is to jump up, scream and holler, and make the injustice known. If we receive less than what we deem to be our fair share, we let people know. It isn’t fair! I was wronged!

I watched the Canucks game last night, and every player that got sent to the penalty box went there protesting the injustice. No one went peacefully. None of them said “Yes, Mr. Referee, I shouldn’t have hit him in the face with my stick, I will go serve my time.” Nope, instead the comments were more along the lines of “What on earth is wrong with you, Ref? His face got right in the way of where I needed to swing my stick! Not fair!” We all see fairness or injustices from our own selfish, tainted points of view. Most “injustices” we feel have occurred to us really actually aren’t injustices at all. If you’ve ever heard the saying “There’s always a faster gun.” (referring to the Old West gun slinging days), the same can be said that’s there’s also always a slower gun. But it’s just so easy to focus on the one that is better off than we are, and wish life was fair so that we had what they did, rather than think about the one that is worse off than us and be thankful that life isn’t fair so we don’t have what they do.

In fact, you may have heard about this before, but it has been said that if we were to “be fair” and divide the world’s wealth equally among all of us, did you know that all of our yearly incomes would drop drastically? Even our homeless would be worse off than they are now.

This morning I want to talk about injustices. I want to talk about being wrongfully accused. And I want to discuss how we react to these injustices. But, in doing so, I do want you all to consider the injustices you’ve suffered, or are suffering, and first of all consider whether or not they are injustices at all. The first step in dealing with an unfair world is to stop focusing on the how unfair it is to you that your brother just bought a new truck, or your neighbor could afford to install that amazing new deck. Instead, let’s weed out the perceived injustices so that we can deal with the ones that truly are unfair.

To start, I would like to read from the Old Testament, 1 Samuel chapter 26. In case you are not aware of the history of this story, Saul is the King of Israel. He was anointed by God through Samuel. However, Saul quickly fell out of favour with God and so Samuel then anointed David as the next King of Israel to take over for Saul once Saul’s reign had ended. Obviously, a dictatorship like the reign of a King doesn’t end after he served his four year term like a President or Prime Minister. It ended with his death. So, as long as Saul lived, he was the reigning King of Israel. And Saul knew about David. Saul knew that his line of royalty would start and end with himself. His sons would never be royalty because of his actions. David and his line would take over, and this angered Saul. In fact, I’m sure he uttered the words “Not fair!” many times. So, Saul chased David for years, trying to kill him. Speak about being treated unfairly! Here is David, tending sheep when suddenly he’s told he’s going to be the next King. Before that even really gets to sink in, he’s running for his life hiding in the desert, always scrounging for shelter, food and water. What did he ever do to deserve this life?

So, in I Samuel chapter 26, we read of a chance that David gets to change his life. This is actually the second opportunity that arises for David to take Saul’s life and end this absurd running through the desert.

1 Samuel 26

David shows great faith in his God. He has an opportunity to take the path of his life in a new and different direction, but instead he chooses to simply leave it in God’s hand and spares Saul’s life. David does, however, confront Saul about this injustice. He stands up against it and expresses his displeasure. But he does not cross the line of taking control out of God’s hands and into his own.

Recently we had a neighbor call By-Law on us. Apparently, our dogs bark non-stop all day. Well, seeing as Corrie is home all day, we know this was not truthful. So it bothered us. It bothered us a lot. My reaction was to avenge the injustice. We have a good idea what neighbor it was. Anyways, I felt like marching over and giving them a piece of my mind. Or, I started thinking about how I could call By-Law on them for all the things they do that technically they shouldn’t. For a full day, thought after thought went through my mind of how I could stand up, speak out and try and right this injustice!

In fact, the next day, they went out and their own dogs barked and howled inside their house for a few hours straight. Were they loud? No, they were indoors. Did they annoy me? No, I hardly could hear them. But, here I thought, here I have a great opportunity to set things right! Phone By-Law, complain about their dogs! But we didn’t. It’s kind of hard to take revenge when you are trying to write a sermon on how not to do so. But it wasn’t easy! It filled my thoughts for way too long.

Human nature says “get revenge, get even”. God says “Sit back, turn the other cheek.” Human nature says “It’s not fair, I was wronged!” God says “It doesn’t matter, I’m in control.”

Someone cuts you off on the highway, what is your reaction? You say something in a discussion that is misunderstood and you are wrongfully attacked, how do you respond? You work hard and long, and someone else gets the promotion, what is your attitude?

Think about the message that Hollywood presents to all of us day in and day out. If you are wronged, fight back. If someone hurts you, hurt them back and make them pay. Solomon wrote in Proverbs chapter 15 verse 1 that “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Really? God wants us to be pansies? Where’s the movie theme in that?

Nope. Read that again. A harsh word stirs up anger. Any fool can react. Any brainless idiot can jump into a war of words. It takes strength to stop, to take the hit and to respond in a way that will actually stop the altercation before it even begins.

In Hollywood, when you get cheated, you react and the one who wronged you goes running away with his tail between his legs.

In reality, you react only to find that he or she reacts to your reaction, meaning now you have to react to their reaction. Where does this end? Many of us know from our own, unfortunate experiences. It ends with hurtful words, broken relationships, and regretful actions that we wish we could undo.

Instead, a gentle answer turns away wrath.

But that’s hard to do. That requires inner strength. That requires resolve. That means I need to be OK with being wronged.

And there’s nothing pansy about that.

Let’s look at someone else who had inner strength beyond comprehension. Jesus Christ. We all know this story. Jesus stood in front of a crowd of his accusers. The very people he had just spent years with healing sicknesses, feeding and leading are now yelling at him, cursing him, and crying for the release of a criminal in exchange for his execution.

If there ever was a moment for someone to stand up and yell about being unjustly treated, it was now.

If there ever was someone with the power to do so in an amazing way, it was Jesus.

And yet Jesus chose silence. Jesus chose to rest in his Father’s arms. Jesus gave up his desire for justice to allow God’s will to be done instead. If Jesus had done what we all likely would’ve done in this situation, none of us would be here having church this morning. There would be no hope, there would be no salvation. Because Jesus let the injustices overwhelm him with pain, suffering and even death, we can be treated “unfairly” and be allowed to come before a King clean and pure. Because Jesus didn’t seek vengeance, we now have life.

Paul wrote about vengeance in Romans chapter 12. Let’s read through a few verses, starting on verse 12.

Romans 12:12-21

Bless those who curse you! Do not repay evil with evil. Do not take revenge.

It is God’s to avenge.

Did you get that? Revenge isn’t even in our job description. Our duties are to bless others, to mourn with them, to live peacefully with everyone. Nowhere in the list of job requirements does “Revenge” even appear. It’s God’s job!

Instead, God says that we are to feed our enemies. If they are thirsty, we are to give them something to drink. We are not to be overcome by evil, but instead to overcome evil with good.

One thing I find very interesting in this passage is the end of the part where Paul quotes Proverbs saying that by feeding and watering our enemies, we “heap burning coals over their heads”. Isn’t that kind of like getting your revenge? Isn’t that kind of the mentality that we’re supposed to avoid?

But, in reality, by treating our enemies with kindness, Solomon is saying that our enemies will feel remorse over how they treated us. This is God’s wrath pouring down on them. If you consider Saul’s reaction to David when David confronts him, showing him he had a chance to avenge himself yet didn’t. Saul was remorseful. He apologized to David, and his life spiraled even further out of control. In fact, shortly after this, Saul actually enlists the help of a medium to summon the spirit of Samuel from the dead for advice rather than going to God.

So the next time that someone wrongly accuses you, or treats you unfairly, remember that vengeance is God’s job. Bless them when they curse you. Feed them. Treat them with love and kindness.