Psalm 35:1
Contend O Lord, with those who contend with me. Fight against those who fight against me.
Reflection: Avenge me, O Lord
Written By: Pastor Jesse Caro
I struggle with the Psalmist when he says, “Fight against those who fight against me.” It seems like a heart that is at odds with the instruction of the Sermon on the Mount: turn the other cheek. Perhaps if one had to make these two contradictory ideas make sense together, one might say that we, ourselves, should not be proactive in our desire to get even… that we should allow God to get even on our account. But even as I type those words, I am reminded that the Bible instructs us to love our enemies and to “bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28). This is a difficult thing to read, then, from the Psalmists. I put passages like these in the framework of “the Psalmist is just being honest, and I should also be honest in my prayers.” But I hesitate to say that this is a healthy way to pray!
I had a person in our last ministry try to discredit me and my ministry, sending an email to the entire church alleging something that was not true. He used his position, as the head of one of our boards, to gain credibility. It was vicious and ugly. He was unanimously placed under church correction, so he left… and took others with him. I prayed many honest prayers to the Lord that sounded similar to the Psalmist’s. “Lord, avenge me!” This man is a person I, frankly, do not like (and it is clear he does not like me, I can assure you). I no longer pray for him as I used to. I now ask God to help him see the error of his ways and turn away from his divisive spirit. God will avenge me if he wishes, but the fact is none of us deserve God’s grace… and so I should not withhold it from others. In the meantime, I hope he turns back to God and I will continue to pray for that… for his sake.
Prayer
Lord, for those who have hurt us, we ask that you show them the error of their ways. And show us, in the same manner, where we have fallen short of the standard you have laid out before us.
