Good for Evil Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Remember the last time that someone wronged you? How did you respond? Pastor Kennedy says that in matters of good and evil, our response can take one of four directions. First of all, some people return evil for good. This is the devil’s way of doing things. We see this attitude demonstrated by criminals and by cruel and tyrannical governments. Romans 12:17 “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.” Then some people return evil for evil. These people aren’t devil-like; they’re beast-like. Animals, especially wild animals, generally react this way. If you step on a snake’s tail, you can soon expect to find its fangs in your ankle. 1 Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.” Others return good for good. This isn’t devilish or beastly; it is a natural human response, the response of an unregenerate heart. Pastor Kennedy says that we is not find this hard to accept. In fact, when we do good to others, we expect good in return. But the fourth response, returning good for evil, makes us halt in our tracks. Jesus says in Matthew 5:39, “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person”. Jesus, in His great love and compassion, has told us how to respond this way on our own; it is not part of our human nature. Instead, we must turn to Christ Himself, who returned ultimate evil with ultimate good. Christ went into the very depths of ruin and hell for our evilness of sin, and in His goodness HE suffered for us and conquered evil for all time. Only through Christ can we fain the ability and the desire to go the second mile, to turn the other cheek. How can you return good for evil today?

Matthew 5:43-45 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

Remember the last time that someone wronged you? How did you respond? Pastor Kennedy says that in matters of good and evil, our response can take one of four directions. First of all, some people return evil for good. This is the devil’s way of doing things. We see this attitude demonstrated by criminals and by cruel and tyrannical governments.

Romans 12:17 “Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.”

Then some people return evil for evil. These people aren’t devil-like; they’re beast-like. Animals, especially wild animals, generally react this way. If you step on a snake’s tail, you can soon expect to find its fangs in your ankle.

1 Peter 3:8-9 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

Others return good for good. This isn’t devilish or beastly; it is a natural human response, the response of an unregenerate heart. Pastor Kennedy says that we is not find this hard to accept. In fact, when we do good to others, we expect good in return. But the fourth response, returning good for evil, makes us halt in our tracks. Jesus says in Matthew 5:39, “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person”. Jesus, in His great love and compassion, has told us how to respond this way on our own; it is not part of our human nature. Instead, we must turn to Christ Himself, who returned ultimate evil with ultimate good. Christ went into the very depths of ruin and hell for our evilness of sin, and in His goodness HE suffered for us and conquered evil for all time. Only through Christ can we fain the ability and the desire to go the second mile, to turn the other cheek.

How can you return good for evil today?