VENGEANCE IS MINE (Continuation)

How many of us thought it this way?

As mentioned earlier, this passage can be considered as an allusion to the historical use of coal by the Israelites. Coal then, even now, had numerous uses and advantages. It was used for cooking, cosmetics, and even for spiritual exercises such as fasting and repentance. Remember that the Israelites were often required to heap coal on themselves as a show of remorse for their sins?  So, heaping coal on one's enemy's head can be symbolic of the godly remorse that they will feel, when we repay their evil to us with acts of good. This leads them unto genuine repentance. Unfortunately, today, even Christians see this "heaping coal" as a subtle revenge. To them, the Bible has given them liberty to do good to their enemy in order to bring evil upon them.

Are you one of the many in this school of thought?  Has someone hurt you recently? Don't stop at just forgiving them, bless them, and give them the best gift that there is - salvation. Pray for their souls to be saved from a wicked nature, and ensure that this act is from a good and right heart - not from a heart that seeks to impute guilt on others.

Speaking of guilt, Proverb 12:10 says; The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

I'll illustrate this point with the story of Mr. Tolu, a university graduate who after ten arduous years of tolling and toiling under the scorching glares and taunts of the Nigerian sun, finally gets a 6-figure paying job and a company car, amongst other benefits. One rainy Saturday morning, while he was cruising around his neighbourhood, in his new car, and listening to the Saturday breakfast radio show, he sees Emeka, the neighbour who, on many rainy days like this, often sped by in his car and splashed him with muddy water that had been regurgitated by the overflowing algae-ridden gutters on the road.  Now, God haff catch him! He's probably on his way back from a Friday vigil? Even the Bible sandwiched between his armpit says “an eye for an eye.” Should I speed by and give him a ‘nice’ gutter bath too? No! Better still, I'll drive up to him, greet him and drive off without giving him a lift. As these thoughts maneuvered through the labyrinth of Tolu's mind, he drives up to Emeka, gives him a lift, and makes him “comfortable” by increasing his A.C.  “Make I sha dry hin cloth for am,” he even thought to himself.  Then, with a smirk lingering at the corner of his mouth, Tolu went on to recount the story of how Emeka had given him many a quick and dirty bath when their situations where reversed.

Have you been doing the Tolu-kind of good? Is your act of kindness stemming from a heart of unkindness? This is not the kindness that Paul referred us to. In fact, this kind of kindness is revenge!

Remember our title? Vengeance is mine!? Now, ask yourself; is that me speaking, or the Lord?

We have been charged as Christians to not only forgive those who wrong us, but to actively bless (heap a coal on) them. Period.