What Comes Around Goes Around Is No Excuse!
INTRO - Have you ever wanted to get even in life? Have you ever felt the best recourse was to give someone a dose of his or her own medicine? Have we seen someone who we wanted to see get his or her just deserts? Sure we have - and to be honest, it felt good, or feels good when we pay someone back when we feel like they deserve every bit we that give them.
My wife was driving the other night and we were sitting at an intersection waiting on the light. I saw a driver on the other side of the intersection back up and pull forward a couple of times and proceed to turn right in front of us as we started through the intersection on our green light, causing my wife to have to hit her brakes.
This is what I call an obvious infraction of driving laws and maybe even worse driving etiquette. I knew my wife's hands were busy holding onto the steering wheel, so I did the obvious thing needed and honked her horn at this bad driver. I know I felt good about this - even though I got a less than thankful look from my wife.
Have you ever had someone honk their horn at you when you did something wrong? Did you like it? Me neither! As I studied, I knew that I was not very kind to that individual. I did not treat them the way I would like to be treated. I did not treat them with kindness. I know, they did not really deserve any better than a good old-fashioned honk, or worse, but is this how the Lord taught us to walk? I think not. Let's look at some of His teachings and see what the Word of God tells us.
Matthew 5:38 - 48 38Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
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But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.40
And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.41
And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.42
Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.43
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;45
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.46
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?47
And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?48
Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
So we can see…
Jesus taught in principle, DO NOT attempt to get even or ahead
It is evil (or wrong) - 39
It is counter productive (no reward) - 39-48
It is not the best way 43-48
When we look at the story of Joseph as found in Gen. 37 through 50, we see Joseph go through many hardships because his brothers were unkind to him. Forget the fact that he may have been a bit disrespectful at times, he certainly deserved not to be treated as he was by his brothers. What I want to see, is how did Joseph react to their unkindness?
Genesis 45:14 - 15 14And he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.
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Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and after that his brethren talked with him.Joseph DID NOT repay evil for evil, but demonstrated great kindness
He trusted God during his hardships
He claimed God during his difficult times
He showed God's love when he forgave his brothers
Okay, Okay, I get it - do not repay evil for good…The next time someone does me wrong, I will do good to them. Great! But there is more required. Let's look at a teaching of Jesus and see how we should watch for opportunities to be kind…
Luke 10:25 - 37 25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
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He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.28
And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.29
But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?30
And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.31
And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.32
And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.33
But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,34
And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.35
And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.36
Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?37
And he said, He that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
We can see…
The Good Samaritan DID NOT have to be kind, but went the extra mile
The injured man had done nothing to deserve his attention - except by chance?
Does our opportunities to be kind happen per chance?
He had a heart of compassion - 33
He acted upon his compassion with kindness - 34
When we show mercy or kindness, we can become one's good neighbor
I would like to also look at an individual that had an opportunity to undo some of his unkindness. The Philippian jailer met Paul in Acts 16
Paul had been treated very poorly
Paul had been unfairly treated
Paul did not hold a grudge!
Paul treated the jailer with kindness
Acts 16:22 - 34 22And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
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And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:24
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.26
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.27
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.28
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.29
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas,30
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?31
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.32
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.33
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.34
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.Also, I want to look at the effect on the jailer. Now let me tell you, jailers were not hired because of their abilities to treat prisoners' wounds or their abilities to be nice. But this jailer was different after Paul and the Lord spoke to him…
The jailer DID NOT neglect to show kindness to his brother in Christ!
He was sorry for his misdeeds - 30
He listened and learned from God's man and His Word
He rectified his wrongdoings - 33
He worked on his relationship with others (through kindness) - 34
2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
We do know that Christ was and is kind to us, we can see that…
Christ DID NOT refuse us salvation
He was and is kind to us
He has given us something we could never buy
We need to be rich in His gift to us
We need to share with others what He has given to us
But they do not deserve my kindness
They are getting their just rewards
Paybacks are tough
It is good enough for them
What comes around goes around
On and on and on! I know! I know, I know, I know!!!!!
I know.
But Jesus knows too.
How does He want us to act? With kindness!
I want to finish today with a scripture that has a story in our household. I want to read…
Ephesians 4:20 - 32
20But ye have not so learned Christ;21
If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:22
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;23
And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;24
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.25
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.26
Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:27
Neither give place to the devil.28
Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.29
Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.30
And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.31
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:32
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Now let me share the story…
Greg had been taught part of verse 32. As I recall, one day while playing with Jason, and Jason would not let Greg play with one of his toys, Greg quoted this scripture to him.
"Be ye kind!"
Now Greg's quote was a shortened version, and it suited his goal, but let me encourage you to take this verse and live by it. It will bring you peace and to be honest, it will keep your hands off the horn button of your life!
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And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 011407am