Confrontation: April 8, 2013

Today's Word for Monday April 8, 2013

CONFRONTATION

DEFINITION:

To stand or come in front of; to be in ones way; oppose; face to face; an open conflict of opposing ideas; to face in hostility.

SCRIPTURE:

You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, but I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. Matthew 5:38-39

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Far too often we are faced with situations that in our mind, invite confrontation. Before you confront someone for something said or done you need to carefully read what Jesus said about confrontation. It is our natural reaction to want to retaliate and confront the one that treats us badly or speaks some untruth about us, but that is not what God wants from us as believers in Him.

We had a very good minister friend that had a large church in south Los Angeles some years ago. His name was Rev. E.V. Hill and he was known all across America. We can remember him telling us what he had said to his congregation the Sunday after there was a disturbance close to his church. He said, "Some people believe in an eye for an eye, but in this neighborhood it is two eyes for an eye." He went on to preach that you can never even the score you can only raise the stakes.

It happens every day. On a school playground a student gets pushed. In a home a sibling wants what another sibling has and takes it. A driver in a car forces you out of your lane. All of these situations are minor things but they often grow quickly into a fight. It is a process of retaliation, confrontation and escalation that results from an attitude of revenge. Revenge is the desire to even the score.

Most children get into fights because they feel they must even the score for some issue that they did not like. What parent hasn't heard these words: "He (or she) started it. I hit him because he hit me first" When adults take actions of revenge they justify their response with the excuse of doing only what was done to them.

In Matthew 5 (above verse) Jesus tackles this key relational issue. He tells us to accept personal affronts without retaliation. The person who slaps with his right hand, which most people do, has to strike with the back of his hand in order to slap the right cheek. In Jesus day hitting with the back of a hand was a way to insult or show disrespect rather than for the purpose of physically hurting or injuring. This adds insult to injury. When you refuse to retaliate and turn the other cheek you send the message that you are following Christ's example and returning good for evil. Before He was crucified Jesus was insulted, mocked, spit upon and beaten and yet He never retaliated.

By reacting in this manner the message you send is one of love and forgiveness. Someone once said that to return good for good is natural but to return good for evil is supernatural. When we are confronted with evil and treated badly we will only escalate the situation if we try to get even. Instead we must turn the matter over to God and allow Him to bring justice and healing in the relationship.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Psalm 81:1.

Sing aloud unto God our strength: Make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

PRAYER:

Lord, help me not to retaliate when someone wants to pick a fight by harassing me or insulting me. Instead give me the strength and faith to turn the other cheek and show Your love through me and then do what is right. May my response be a testimony of Your love to those that witness how I respond.