A teenage girl, infatuated by a non-responding boy, made sure he copped some hurt.

In vindictive spite, she told the teacher he’d hit her tennis ball in the river. The teacher gave him the stick. Not much hope for the girl after that!!

Someone wisely warned, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

Four year old Darcey Freeman was thrown by her father from Melbourne’s Westgate Bridge. Why? He’d told his former wife she’d never see her kids again. How shocking and awful when retaliation targets little children!

Court cases, punch ups, walk outs, road rage and every style of hurt you can think of arise from revenge. A man staggered into the Paskeville hotel bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds — a victim of bikie pay-back.

Armed with missiles, guns and bombs, vengeance is so potentially dangerous it could wipe us out. Fire one rocket and you get two back!

The problem with human kind is an inner disregard — a malevolent motivation. What animal, fish or bird pays back so viciously? An enlightened Englishman said, ‘After long and careful thought I have come to the conclusion we’re a fatally flawed species.’

Eradication

Revenge is reversible. We need to eradicate it before it eradicates us. A solution of goodness and positive response often takes the heat from the lust for retaliation.

The Bible says: ‘Don’t repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Don’t take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he’s thirsty, give him something to drink. In so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ Romans 12:18-20Romans 12:18-20

Jesus said, ‘Don’t resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.’ Matthew 5:38-40Matthew 5:38-40

Example

The one who said, ‘Don’t resist an evil person,’ wonderfully exampled the ideal when nailed to a cross. It was said of him, ‘When they insulted him, he didn’t retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats…’

He was both the victim and victor. Vengeance put him on the cross but, on the cross, under cruel circumstances, Jesus magnificently conquered it and showed us a better way.

Have you been a target of revenge? Or, has it driven you to inflict additional hurt upon others?

Through God’s help we can, like Christ Himself, rise to a noble level of living. Someone has said, ‘Never does the human soul appear so strong as when it foregoes revenge and dares to forgive an injury.’

We are, indeed, ‘a fatally flawed species.’ The good news is — Jesus can remake us and re-motivate us. See 2 Corinthians 5:172 Corinthians 5:17.

We need an inner change — a new birth — a personal relationship with Jesus. We can then follow his way and ‘overcome evil with good.’