Forgiveness #5—Trusting Example

Christ left you an example to follow. … When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered he did not threaten; but he trusted to him who judges justly. 1 Peter 2:21–23

Few people have been wronged worse than Jesus. Few have got a raw deal as bad as his. Few were abused more. No one was rejected more than he. And no one was as innocent. So what did he do when his heart filled with moral indignation? What did he do with his righteous anger? He did not lash out in self-righteous vindictiveness. He did not call on his Father to send twelve legions of angels. Instead, he handed over his grievance for God to adjudicate. Why? Because he knew that the Judge of all the earth would do right. He knew the Father, whose glory he honored, would not abandon anyone who lived the  way Jesus lived. For God’s righteousness consists in acting in a way that honors his own glory. He will vindicate those who trust him because he will always vindicate his reputation for holiness. Confident of this, Jesus never allowed any sinful bitterness to arise in his heart. And we shouldn’t either. We battle bitterness by trusting our vindication to God’s perfect justice. If we keep a grudge, we doubt the Judge.

O Righteous Judge, I rest my case at the foot of the cross, where Jesus demonstrated his absolute confidence in you by forgiving his tormentors so I could see how to fully rely on your wisdom and power to secure my joy. Amen.