Buddy Hoffman :: Redemption :: 08.01.10
Imagine with me for a moment we are watching a movie. In the opening few sequences we are shown the famous star along side people he loves, who moments later are slaughtered by a cold-hearted, evil, contemptible, powerful, and seemingly untouchable people. What comes next as soon as the mourning, the grieving, and the inconsolable anger rises? You know right up front the theme for the rest of the movie; it is spelled revenge! The hero will hunt down the villain. The hero will exact his reprisal: justifiable, understandable, humanly reasonable revenge.
But what happens to the hero in the pursuit of vengeance?
Normally, the revenge is anything but sweet. Something happens in the heart of the man in pursuit of the monster; somehow something dies. It has been well said, “In our efforts to kill monsters we must take care not to become one.” Last week I stood outside the crumbing remains of the Coliseum in Rome, the place where more people were slaughtered for following Jesus–thousands upon thousands–than any other place on the planet. This was the epicenter of Roman power and Christian persecution.This was the city where Paul was beheaded, where Peter was crucified upside down and where the blood of believers ran like water. I stood there with a friend whose wife had been slaughtered just a few years ago by a Muslim, deceived by a false faith, believed he was doing God’s will. I stood there with a lady who was the granddaughter of one of the men killed by the Indians in Equador. These two are now married with three children. Why were we there? Mobilizing an army! But not for revenge, but to announce the Kingdom of God!
This Sunday we are headed into 1 Corinthians 10 and we are reminded how and why we are different! We live a different story and the story line is not revenge, it is redemption.
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