Resist Not Evil

Why would Jesus ask us to resist not evil? Should we not fight it tooth and nail? Shouldn't we abhor and avoid ALL the evil predominate in this world? Shouldn't we run from it? Shouldn't we build huge resistance to it? Shouldn't we hate the evil-doers of this world? Jesus taught non-resistance AND, from the cross, demonstrated it as well. Though He shed His blood for us, offering Himself in our place, saving our eternal souls from the excruciating pain of eternity in Hell, allowing us to dwell with Him in heaven forever, there is something else He did for us on the walk to Golgotha and on the cross. He showed us what non-resistance looks like, so that we can pattern ourselves and our responses to the cruelty on this planet to His.

Not once did He whine or complain about this important gift exchange He was giving us (His earthly life in exchange for our eternal life). Not once did He utter a cross word. Instead, demonstrating His teaching, He forgave those who were persecuting and killing Him.

We are not God. The trip to the cross was only needed once. It was accomplished by Jesus, God's Son. Our sins have been forgiven and, as we focus on Him, allowing our residual sins and dark spots of the soul to be ferreted out by the Holy Spirit, we can become molded into a shining representation of God here on this earth, leading many into the safe and loving arms of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

What do we accomplish when we behave as Jesus asked us to in Matthew 5:38-48? I believe that, as when a soul has been saved, bells are rung in heaven and joyful laughter reverberates in high places, when we choose to love and forgive, rather than resist and hate. But what actually happens when we choose to act completely different from the unchurched (or even the churched who do not apply what they know)?

Matthew 7:2 says that God will do to us what we do to others. God measures what we do to others, but how is it measured, exactly? We, for instance, may think our unthoughtful words to someone are merely small barbs, mosquitos, perhaps, only slightly irritating, causing them only to shed a little emotional blood, nothing more. They, however, may be devastated, forced to withdraw into a shell to lick their wounds, completely drained of all their life's emotional blood. Does God do to us what we think we did to them or does God do to us what they feel we did to them? Only God knows how He determines this. Our ignorance of others' pain, however, is no excuse. God will get our attention by bringing to us some measure of the pain we give to others because He wants us to be like Him and He will work with us until we are sensitive and compassionate and able to love, and not harm, those with whom we associate.

Why else this training ground? Why else a narrow path to heaven that needs greater foot traffic? How can we assist the Lord and His great commission, in bringing others to Him? They won't make it without our compassion and love, they won't make it if we coerce or push them, they won't make it if we feel our love for them is not of much value and not worth giving—especially when they irritate us. Our role in God's work here on earth is far more important than we care to admit. Forgiveness, my dear friends, stops this process where God must mete out corrective measures, because with forgiveness comes a fresh slate—and if the forgiveness we give others is at all like God Himself gives, there will be no remembrance of the pain someone caused us. Therefore, there will be nothing for God to mete out to anyone because all is as new, all is like the morning, a brand new day!

When we feel God's wrath through circumstances and through people He placed in our way, if we resist them, we are failing to listen to the call for OUR healing. God wants us to forgive them passionately so that we can be on the receiving end of His forgiveness. There is no other way, according to scripture. This is why we must forgive others (even if what they did to us seems unjustified), this is why we must not resist them by fighting them or running from them because when we do, we are shutting our ears to God's command to love and pray for those who appear to be unlovable and unworthy of our prayers.

We must wake up to our calling, here on earth. We must get out of ourselves before we can get into the armor of Christ. His armor is non-resistance and forgiveness because when we forgive from the deepest part of our hearts, we walk steadily and confidently on the narrow path, turning heads our way, helping people understand the nature of God's forgiveness AND being healed of our deepest darkest sins, all at the same time. What an awesome God we have! And, as we try to walk His walk, what a wonderful, bolstering encouragement we will receive from the Lord because this IS what He wants us to do—and we will show Him we love Him if we follow His commands.  

Back

TOC

Next