"Dearly beloved avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written VENGEANCE IS MINE; I WILL REPAY SAITH THE LORD. Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed him; if he thirst give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."
Romans 12v19-20
Paul now comes to the crux of the matter. We live in a world of evil where everyone including ourselves has the propensity to evil. We do wrong, others do wrong to us. How are we to react? The normal, but unfruitful, reaction is to seek vengeance. As someone has said, the only end to such a pathway is world annihilation. Somehow the cycle must be broken and the best way is to allow God, who is perfect, who perfectly judges all situations, to do His work. We are neither qualified not competent to properly judge a situation of conflict. Only God is able to do that, only He has perfect knowledge, only He has perfect judgement. It is as well at this point to remind ourselves that God is not only a God of love and mercy and grace (which has been the main subject of this epistle), He is also a God of inflexible righteousness and He will exact vengeance on evil doers. This is not the God that many of us want, but it is the God who exists and if we thought about it carefully enough we would realise the absolute safety of this in life. Scripture abounds with the fact that God will render to every man and woman, no matter who they are, for the good and evil that they have done. This will be done in God's own time and in God's own way. In chapter 13, which we will look at next, we will see that He exacts vengeance on evil through the judicial system. In Deuteronomy 32v25 He exacts judgement in days of calamity. In Psalm 94v1-3; Nahum 1v2-3; Hebrews 10v30 he opposes every expression of the pride of man. We are invited by the God of heaven to allow Him to render proper recompense in all matters, especially those where evil has been done. We can rest on the fact that God Himself will put to right all wrongs. This is the ultimate meaning of "righteousness." The apostle Peter points to a day when God will create a new heaven and a new earth "wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2nd Peter 3v13
On the contrary, instead of perpetuating the cycle of vengeance, as a believer I have to do the opposite. This is not to turn a blind eye to the evil that has been done, or to justify it in any way, it is to leave the issue with God. For my part I have to look on the necessities of my enemy and meet their needs wherever they exist. Wherever conflict exists it will produce the lack of bodily needs. The Christian way is to provide for those needs and leave the matter of recompense to God. So Paul says "Therefore if thine enemy hunger feed Him, if He thirst give Him drink." He goes on to say something very strange to the western mind "For in so doing you will heap coals of fire upon his head." To our minds this would seem to be suggesting vengeance, but in fact it is saying the very opposite. It is a saying taken from ancient middle eastern practice. Everything in that culture, which was necessary to common human life was carried on the head. A common image would be of men and women walking about with daily provisions on their heads in containers; whether it would be water, or bread, or meat, or fruit, it represented the provision of the necessities of life. One of the necessities would be "coals of fire." These were necessary for heat and for cooking food. The most basic requirements of human life were thus met even in times of conflict. "Heaping coals of fire on someone's head" therefore means supplying their basic needs. I am to heap coals of fire, my giving is to be lavish not mean. This is a quotation taken from Proverbs 25v21-22 where the same quotation ends like this "And the Lord shall reward thee."
The Lord Jesus on the sermon on the mount gives the ultimate view of this when He says "Love your enemies." He goes on to explain that if we do this we will be the children of our Father which is in heaven, that is, we will be doing what He does, and He goes on to explain "For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust." Towards people who in word and deed are his enemies, God provides the fundamental necessities of life. He doesn't have to do this but He does out of a sense of care and love towards His creatures, even those who oppose Him and break His laws and curse Him and pervert their way on His earth; to such He sends sun and rain and provides for need. This is God's way, and it is to be the Christian way. Another aspect of this picture of the coals of fire maybe in connection with the smelting of ore. The purpose of this is not to destroy the metal but to soften and to make it useful. This expression may refer to the fact that a Christian being kind to those who have done them ill, may have the effect of softening their hardened hearts. Either way there is nothing to be lost by expressions of extreme generosity from those who have received it from the greatest Giver of all.
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12v21 Here Paul summarises the very essence of Christianity. Because of the power of the gospel there is no need for the Christian to succumb to evil; on the contrary where evil once reigned we are to allow the gracious flow of the Holy Spirit within us to flood our hearts and turn us into real do- gooders, not of ourselves, but of Him who has saved us.
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