Website owner:  James Miller

On responding to wrongs

   Have you ever felt that you were treated unjustly, that you 
   were wronged?  How did you respond?  Being wronged is a common 
   experience in this world.  It happens to all of us.  How do you 
   respond when you feel you have been wronged, or slighted, or 
   treated unjustly?  By anger?  By retaliating, striking back in 
   word or act?  By hatred?  By a quest for revenge?  Knowing how 
   to live life involves knowing how to handle various situations 
   life can present to us.  Being wronged or done an injustice is 
   one of the most common situations we encounter.  How does one 
   handle the situation?  In life, things are very often not what 
   they should be, not even close to what they should be.  It is a 
   fact.  Life is full of injustice.  We live in a world ruled by 
   Satan.  His lies and his ways are pervasive and dominate in 
   this world.  He works his way through lie and deception.  And 
   he acts through people.  It is misguided, misled, deceived 
   humanity that does his work for him.  The reason for all the 
   injustice usually comes down to people, people not acting as 
   they ought to act -- not doing as they should do.

   Have you ever been the object of ridicule, scorn and abuse by the 
   crowd?  Do you know what it is like to be an outcast --  
   ostracized, rejected by the crowd?  Do you know what it is like 
   to have the enmity and hatred of the crowd?  Do you know the 
   injustice of the crowd? 

   I am sure the reader has heard the story of Jesus Christ.  It 
   is a very interesting story to read.  God sent his son, Jesus, 
   down to this world, sent him as his personal messenger to 
   mankind.  Jesus claimed to be that messiah that God had 
   promised to the Jews.  He moreover claimed that he and God 
   were one, that he was with God when he created the universe, 
   and that he was the one who would be the judge in that final 
   day in which all mankind will be judged.  How was Jesus treated 
   here on this earth?  Answer: He was rejected, hated and abused 
   by the religious and political leaders of the land, by the 
   people in positions of power.  He was rejected by much of the 
   populace.  And finally, through their insistence and pressure, 
   he was condemned to die and was crucified as a common criminal.  
   That is how he was treated.  Very badly.  And what did he do to 
   justify this treatment?  He did great miracles before 
   thousands, healing the sick, curing the deaf and blind, raising 
   the dead.  He preached a profound message of repentance from 
   sin, love of God and of neighbor, peacefulness, humility, 
   meekness, forgiveness, moral purity, self-denial, service, 
   goodness and virtue.  We can say that God himself came down to 
   this world and was rejected and abused very badly by his 
   creation.  He was condemned, rejected, ostracized and 
   persecuted.  He suffered the same kind of abusive treatment 
   many of us suffer.  Now what do you think of that?  God, 
   himself, in coming here to earth was not immune to the wrongs, 
   injustice and abuse of this world.  He was wronged repeatedly.  
   What kind of reception is that?  He had the power and, had he 
   wished to do so, he could have struck all his enemies dead with 
   a single word.  But how did he respond to all this abuse, all 
   these wrongs done to him?  By any kind of violence?  He showed 
   us by his example how we are to respond to wrongs.  In the same 
   way, the apostles and early Christians were rejected and 
   persecuted by the powers of the land.  Many died for their faith.  
   They were grossly wronged.  How did they respond to wrongs?

   Jesus had a message about how to respond to wrongs.  The 
   message: Do not respond, leave justice to God.  Forget and 
   forgive the wrong.


   Matt 5:38-41 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for 
   an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye 
   resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right 
   cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee 
   at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak 
   also.  And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with 
   him twain.

   Matt 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often 
   shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven 
   times?"  Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to 
   seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

   Matt 6:14-15 "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your 
   heavenly Father will also forgive you.  "But if you do 
   not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father 
   forgive your trespasses."

   Matt 11:29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am 
   meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your 
   souls.

   Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall 
   delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

   Psa 147:6 The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked 
   down to the ground.

   Isa 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth 
   eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy 
   place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, 
   to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of 
   the contrite ones.

   Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all 
   those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I 
   look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and 
   trembleth at my word.

   Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather 
   give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengence is mine; I 
   will repay sayeth the Lord.

   I Pet 2:18-23 Servants, be subject to your masters with all 
   fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 
   For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward 
   God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory 
   is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take 
   it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye 
   take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.  For even 
   hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, 
   leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:  
   Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  
   Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, 
   he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth 
   righteously:

   Titus 3:2 To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but 
   gentle, showing all meekness unto all men.

   I Th 5:14-15 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are 
   unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient 
   toward all men.  See that none render evil for evil unto any 
   man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, 
   and to all men.

   Rom 12:14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.


  The following is a prophesy of the promised Jewish messiah (Jesus) 
   from the book of Isaiah (Isa 52:13-15, 53:1-12), New King James 
   Version.

   Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; 
   He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 
   Just as many were astonished at you, 
   So His visage was marred more than any man, 
   And His form more than the sons of men; 
   So shall He sprinkle many nations. 
   Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; 
   For what had not been told them they shall see, 
   And what they had not heard they shall consider. 

   Who has believed our report? 
   And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 
   For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, 
   And as a root out of dry ground. 
   He has no form or comeliness; 
   And when we see Him, 
   There is no beauty that we should desire Him. 
   He is despised and rejected by men, 
   A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 
   And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; 
   He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

   Surely He has borne our griefs 
   And carried our sorrows; 
   Yet we esteemed Him stricken, 
   Smitten by God, and afflicted. 
   But He was wounded for our transgressions, 
   He was bruised for our iniquities; 
   The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 
   And by His stripes we are healed. 
   All we like sheep have gone astray; 
   We have turned, every one, to his own way; 
   And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. 
   He was oppressed and He was afflicted, 
   Yet He opened not His mouth; 
   He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, 
   And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, 
   So He opened not His mouth. 
   He was taken from prison and from judgment, 
   And who will declare His generation? 
   For He was cut off from the land of the living; 
   For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 
   And they made His grave with the wicked; 
   But with the rich at His death, 
   Because He had done no violence, 
   Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

   Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; 
   He has put Him to grief. 
   When You make His soul an offering for sin, 
   He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, 
   And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand. 
   He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. 
   By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, 
   For He shall bear their iniquities. 
   Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great, 
   And He shall divide the spoil with the strong, 
   Because He poured out His soul unto death, 
   And He was numbered with the transgressors, 
   And He bore the sin of many, 
   And made intercession for the transgressors. 


   Nov 2008