Repaying Evil with Goodness

Reading verse: Genesis 42: 1 – 38

“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is it to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”

Luke 6: 32 – 35 (NKJV)

It is indeed not easy to repay evil with goodness. The world teaches us to be good to those who are good to us, and to be bad to those who are bad to us. However, God teaches us to be good to those who are bad to us.

In the reading verse, we read about how Joseph was good to his siblings after they had sold him, he kept no vengeance. Joseph remembered his dreams, and they came true. His siblings came and knelt down to him, though they did not recognize him. Joseph could easily repay his siblings’ evil by putting them into jail. But that was not what he did. He even planned to save them and everyone else in his father’s house.

His siblings came to him to buy wheat, for only Egypt had food at that time while the rest of the world was in hunger. He gave them the wheat that they wanted, and even gave them back their money in each of their sacks. Not only that, Joseph also ordered his men to bring them food for their journey.

How about us? Are we able to forgive those who do us wrong? And more that that, are we able to love those who are evil to us? We might be thinking, the evil does not deserve to be loved. However, when we love those who do not deserve to be loved, we are reflecting the unconditional love of Jesus through our lives. Jesus’ death on the wooden cross is a proof of His love for us, though we do not deserve it. Now that we have already received that unconditional love of Jesus, let us also spread it to others, by forgiving and loving those who do us wrong.

Evil can only be defeated by love. (DC/DS)

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