THE NON-AVENGERS: EARTH’S GREATEST HEROES
There is an old story, probably from the first Gulf War in the 90s, where a soldier fighting overseas receives a letter from his girlfriend – a dear John letter. She was breaking up with him. In the letter she was asking him to return the photo of herself; she was marrying another man and needed the photo for the engagement column in the local paper. Distraught, the soldier shared his grief with his buddies. One of them came up with the idea that the platoon members give him all the photos of their girlfriends and send them to her with this note: “For the life of me, I can’t remember which one is yours…”
We are told that revenge is sweet. Getting even or triumphing over enemies is a rush. Pop culture teaches this in our stories all the time. I confess that I enjoyed the Avengers storyline and how Ironman finally defeated Thanos.
But I am also reminded and very influenced by Walter Wink’s paper The Myth of Redemptive Violence. After intense study, Wink concluded that the Myth enshrines the belief that violence saves, that war brings peace, that might makes right. Violence and revenge are the nature of things; they are inevitable. Wink noticed a discrepancy in cartoons however, a pattern that is repeated without resolution. Take the old Popeye cartoon: Bluto abducts a screaming and kicking Olive Oyl; Popeye attempts to rescue her and is beaten to a pulp by Bluto; then Popeye eats some spinach, and he is transformed with power, defeats Bluto, and rescues Olive. The format never varies. Neither party gains any insight nor learns from the encounter; they don’t work out their differences. Repeated defeats do not teach Bluto to respect Olive’s humanity and repeated beatings do not teach Popeye to eat his spinach ahead of his conflicts. And the pattern just keeps repeating.
The myth of redemptive violence is the simplest, laziest, most exciting, uncomplicated, irrational, and primitive depiction of evil the world has ever known, Wink writes. But it doesn’t solve anything; it merely encourages more violence. And it does not reflect the heart of God or what God wants for his people who bear his image.
Having a heart for God means having a heart like God’s. Developing a heart for God means trusting that God’s justice is fairer than our seeking personal vengeance. David had his ups and downs; he was human and failed. But in this episode of his life, 1 Samuel 24, David chose to reflect the heart of God.
Resist the Urge
Saul, in his jealous insanity has pursued David to a series of caves in Engedi. These caves had been carved out for use as sheep pens. Saul needed relief (the Hebrew says he needed “to cover his feet”); he needed to drop the drawers. It would appear providential that Saul would choose the exact cave that David and his men are hiding in.
Providence is the argument that David’s men press on him to kill Saul in that moment. They dig up some prophecy that is not recorded anywhere in Scripture saying, “Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you,” (4b). Your enemy has fallen into your hands – what do you do? Surely, God has given you this moment to even the score, get vengeance.
David’s men were wrong on two counts: 1) God never told David that he would replace Saul as king by killing him; 2) Even if the prophecy was true, that David’s enemies would be delivered to him, Saul was not David’s enemy. David never saw him that way.
So, here is the man who has pursued you with the intention to kill you; it’s not a trap or an ambush; it is an opportunity to end the persecution, to end this misery of being hunted and hounded. The natural response to this opportunity is take advantage of it and put your enemy down.
David sneaks up and does the unnatural thing. Instead of killing Saul, he cuts a piece of Saul’s robe off and retreats. His men must have thought he was nuts; he blew his chance to become king right there and then.
When you are slandered, the natural response is to shoot back with slander. When you are given the cold shoulder, you don’t speak to that person either. When you are hated, the natural thing is to hate back. But these responses never lead to life. It just tortures you. The eye-for-an-eye response doesn’t resolve your anguish.
Paul must have reflected on David’s story when he wrote, “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all,” (Ro. 12:17). Our tour leaders in June, John and Michelle Sharp, were parents to a son named MJ or Michael. MJ was working for MCC and then the UN in Congo when this incident occurred. He and a driver came upon a bus that was being held up. Men with machine guns were forcing passengers to lie down…MJ calmly got out of the vehicle and walked over to them men and said, “What are you doing? These are your own people. This doesn’t look right.” For some reason, the men with the guns left and MJ told the passengers to get up and get out of there.
David was careful to do what was right in the eyes of others. When you are tempted to return evil for evil, think of how your spouse would see this, how your children would observe this, how your parents would feel. How does God view this? Resist the urge to avenge yourself.
“Sinsitivity” (a word I created to express sensitivity to one's own sin)
Even though David resisted the urge to take vengeance, even though he only took a piece of Saul’s robe, we read that “David’s heart struck him,” (5a). He said, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed,” (6).
This is the one characteristic of David that I believe overshadowed everything else in making him a man after God’s own heart. He had what I call “sinsitivity” or a sensitivity to sin.
If this were a movie concocted and written by Hollywood, David would be cheered by audiences as he plunged his knife into Saul’s back. He had the excuse of self-defence, since Saul had tried to kill him several times. He had the excuse of divine anointing: God had chosen David to replace Saul. He had the excuse of divine opportunity if his men were to be believed. Was it a coincidence that Saul walked into that cave versus scads of other caves? His men would have cheered. The theater audience would cheer. (Mime story).
David didn’t kill Saul, but his “sin” of cutting the robe, of merely touching God’s servant, convicted him. He didn’t blame Saul for putting him in this position; he didn’t list Saul’s sins; all he could see was his own sin. He saw his own heart and realized that to commit this one sin made it easier to do worse. David crossed the line and if he didn’t address it, crossing the line would be easier the next time.
We need “sinsitivity.” When we allow ourselves to be sensitive to our own sins – not other people’s, mine – we are on the right side of the sin problem. We must fight for this “sinsitivity.” We must fight to remain sensitive to the natural inclination in our hearts to sin. If we respond to sin with sin, we become trapped in a downward toilet swirl to more sin. What hope do we have for forgiveness and grace if we return sin for sin? (see Paul’s battle with sin in Romans 7:15-19)
Build the Bridge
David does something next that is radical and defies all military logic. He gives up the tactical advantage of cover. He emerges from the cave and addresses Saul; David steps out risking his life knowing that Saul could kill him now. But David sought to be reconciled with his pursuer. He does this in a few ways:
First, as we have seen, he makes himself vulnerable.
Second, he exposes the lie. David said, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “Behold, David seeks your harm?” (9). How often has second-hand or third-hand info come to you that so-and-so thinks this about you or your ideas? A text or an email is hard to interpret; we don’t know what the writer is really thinking. But we make assumptions, we get upset, we feel offended. The lies we hear from others or the lies we tell ourselves cause so much conflict and unnecessary hurt. David doesn’t accuse Saul of anything, he just identifies the lie.
Third, David speaks his truth (there is a place for speaking the truth): “Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the LORD gave you today into my hand in the cave…you may know and see that there is no treason in my hands…”(10-11). If the lie gets puffed up it becomes a monster. The only way to deal properly with a lie is to examine the evidence. Is what you are telling yourself true of the other person? Ask them. David had Saul look at the evidence. David didn’t kill Saul when he had the chance. David respected the fact that Saul was king, and he had no intention of usurping him; he submitted to Saul’s leadership. Poke that monster lie full of holes with truth.
Paul implored the Christians at Rome, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all,”(12:18). Build bridges; don’t tear them down.
MJ was hired from MCC by the UN for his ability to work with people groups. He was specifically tasked with going to the warlords in Congo and to convince them to lay down their arms. One UN official was amazed at MJ’s success in speaking to and making peace with the groups and asked him his secret. MJ responded that he simply asked, “What are your dreams? What would you like to see happen?” MJ didn’t come in to lecture them about peace, rather, he tried to open up their hearts. And they opened up because someone finally listened to them.
It bears repeating that Paul instructed us, “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good,” (12:21).
Let God Be the Judge
It takes courage and faith to allow God to be the judge of our conflicts. David had a right vision of God on the throne of the universe; he saw Yahweh as the judge.
Twice, David implored Saul to let God be the judge between the two of them: “May the LORD judge between me and you, may the LORD avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you,” (12). He repeats the essence of this appeal in verse 15.
When we are in trouble, it is automatic that we think we must avenge ourselves. We must fix this thing ourselves. If I don’t do it, who will? When we are in trouble, we feel compelled to argue for our rights, to plead our cause, to seek justice. When we are in trouble, we must save ourselves. David, in this moment, left it all with God. Even if Saul killed him right there and then, he left the matter with Yahweh.
Isn’t this…what’s it called? Christlike? Peter said this of Jesus, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly,” (1 Peter 2:23). Philip Yancey wrote, “Vengeance is a passion to get even. It is a hot desire to give back as much pain as someone gives you. The problem with revenge is that it never gets what it wants; it never evens the score. Fairness never comes. The chain reaction set off by every act of vengeance always takes its unhindered course. It ties both the injured and the injurer to an escalator of pain. Both are stuck on the escalator as long as parity is demanded, and the escalator never stops, never lets anyone off.”
God is wiser than we are and far more insightful of the truth than we are, so we can trust him to discern the injustice of the situation and decide who deserves what.
Michael J. Sharp was murdered by a Congolese warlord in 2017. His death was shot on video for some reason. John and Michelle saw part of the video and shared that MJ was talking the whole time, chatting with his executioners as if working out diplomacy. Even as he met his death, there was a calmness on his face. John and Michelle’s hearts were broken, but their attitude was like David’s: Let God be the judge of those who took our son’s life.
A heart for God means having a heart like God’s. God, in Christ Jesus, reached out to reconcile the world to himself.
Paul carried this theme forward to the Roman Christians, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord,’” (12:19). This is not some activist thing for peace. This word comes on the heels of a message about what Christ has done for us and appealing to us to live as he lived. Which is why Paul says, “Do not be conformed to this world (the myth of redemptive violence), but be transformed by the renewal of your mind (to be like Christ Jesus), that by testing (everything by the cross of Christ) you may discern what is the will of God (what should we do), what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).
This is the way, the truth, the life. This is the way of the Non-Avenger, heroic people of faith in the kingdom of God. These are the heroes of faith.
The story of David is amazing. He did not do a bad thing in response to a bad thing. He reflects the Lord Jesus who even more received very bad things and did a very good thing, dying on the cross for his enemies. May his Spirit help us to grow a heart for God like his.
AMEN
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