Sermon: Get the best of evil by doing good.
Reading Romans 12.9-21 Marks of the True Christian 9 Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; 10 love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. 18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will hear burning coals on their heads.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Sermon.
When ever I read or listen to the words of Romans 12.9-21, as you just heard them or read them – I can not help thinking: this is it! This is the best of it! This is what marks and makes a good Christian. Love truly and genuinely. Love even more generously than the next guy. Seek goodness and turn your back on evil. Service God tirelessly. Be hopeful and steadfast in the face of disappointments and troubles. Be compassionate and be humble. These instructions from Paul to the first Congregation in Rome are timeless and universal, they are the real deal for us as Christians. These instructions from Paul are very straightforward as a set of instructions for a life as a Christian or in a Christian community. Love one another. Do good. Be humble. Persevere in prayer. Practice hospitality. Love your enemies. Pray for those who curse you. Love love love. All you need is love, as Beatles sang. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. In preparing this sermon on one of the most quoted, beloved, teaching and studied text of Romans, I always like to step back and listen to it anew:
So this, is how Eugene Peterson translated this passage in his The Message:
9-10 Love from the center of who you are; do not fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle. 11-13 Do not burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Do not quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 14-16 Bless your enemies, no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they are happy; share tears when they are down. Get along with each other; do not be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; do not be the great somebody. 17-19 Do not hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you have got it in you, get along with everybody. Do not insist on getting even; that is not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.” 20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he is thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Do not let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.” The Message.
Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
Do not let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
Why don’t we let this be our motto in these divided times? Why don’t we let this be our motto and our guiding words in every encounter or discussion, face to face, or on Social Media, we might have? Why don’t we let this be our guiding stars when we confront racial injustice and inequality? Why don’t we let this be what marks us as Christians in a time and a world that desperately needs good Christian values to be act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God.
The we should focus on the last verses of the passages. On the words about Gods wrath and vengeance. That God will repay. Or as Eugene Peterson wrote: Do not insist on getting even, for that is not for you to do. God will do the judging; he’ll take care of it.
We can so easily be overcome by evil when we do not try our best: to be humble, to be generous, to be faithful, to be loving and caring even if we might consider them nobodies, or someone that hates us just as much as we secretly hate them! We can so easily be overcome by evil when we want to get even. When we want the last word. When we want justice, so the others will be punished for their injustice or evil doings. But then we let evil get the best of us instead of getting the best of evil by doing good. Both the Old Testament and the New Testament teaches us about mercy, forgiveness of all and love without not limits. We are taught that justice requires accountability and wisdom. And even more: we are advised to lead an honest earnest life doing what is right in the eyes of God founded on a human humility knowing that we are not going to get it perfect. They will not get it perfect. We wont either. We are humans. We all need mercy and forgiveness like water in the desert.
In our minds we all hope for some divine justice or intervention when we are faced with evil. Those who prosper undeservedly, those who continuously cheat, those who hurt and those who terrorize. We do hope for justice because there is a God, and we believe in him. We can try to practice what Paul preached and what Jesus lived, and extend gracious hospitality to the stranger, compassion to the suffering and friendship no matter what, because God is with us ordinary human beings who with him can do extraordinary things. We as humans do have the priviledge and the responsibility to do and act. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. We would agree on the list of love and good actions as listed in the Romans: hospitality, respect, hope, generosity, compassion, and kindness.
But heaping burning coals on our enemy’s head…. How can that be a good thing to do? What does it even mean? Paul actually quotes from the OT, Proverb 25 which urges: “If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat, and if they are thirsty give them to drink; for you will heap coals of fire on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.”
Commentators through time have struggled to explain this image of the burning coals on the heads of our enemies. What does it mean? Are they in fact real burning coals on real heads? Was it an image like a parable? Was it some part of an obscure old repentance ritual? Again, I will turn to Eugene Petersons translation: 20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he is thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Do not let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
We do not need to stretch our imagination to understand this image. We have all felt that flaming coal ourselves. We have all experienced the hot discomfort of realizing we were wrong, haven’t we? We have all felt that distinctive burn when our pettiness contrast with others graciousness. We do call it burning guilt after all.
Guilt.
Brene` Brown, a shame researcher and famous inspirational speaker, tells us that guilt is a productive emotion. Yes, it is deeply uncomfortable, but it also drives to us change for the better. When we feel guilty, we are more likely to consider the experiences or emotions of others, and we are more likely to change our own future actions. As Brene Brown writes: Guilt is powerful, and its influence is positive, while shame is destructive. Shame erodes our courage and fuels disengagement. I am just going to say it: I am pro-guilt. Guilt is good. Guilt helps us stay on track because it is about our behavior. It occurs when we compare something we have done – or failed to do – with our personal values.
We all hope to change those who hurt us. We often try to create guilt in them by berating them or lecturing them, but that often just create even more tension and irritation. Instead we could move forward in extravagant kindness, trusting the power of our deeds to ignite a holy fire that could transform. That is the power of love. That is the transforming power of love, forgiveness, generosity, humility, and compassion. Let us surprise not only ourselves but others with goodness – as we let love be genuine, as we hate what is evil and hold fast to what is good.
As we will not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good.
Which reminds me of this quote by Joshua Dubois from President Obama’s Devotional on August 26:
It is time to go big.
Big like building a boat to survive a millennial flood
Big like swinging a rock at the face of a giant.
Big like refusing to bow down when a fiery furnace is the likeliest fate.
Big like grasping the Saviors hand and stepping out on raging waters.
Big like sacrificing everything for the good of the world.
We do not serve a little God. We serve a big one.
And its time for us to go big.
Dear God, plant within me a purpose today. Ground me in it and move me toward it.
Help me go big. Amen.
The words of Paul can help us go big, bigger and better. Because love urges us to go big. Compassion urges us to go big. Hospitality urges us to go big. Forgiveness urges us to go big. Good guilt urges us to do better and go bigger. Good guilt urges other to do better and go bigger.
Let our good deeds surprise our friends and enemies.
Do not let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.
AMEN.