Listening to President Obama announce the death of Osama Bin Laden last night and then watching as hundreds celebrated outside the White House, I had mixed feelings. I was somewhat troubled by the expressions of jubilation.
As I sat in my office early this morning, the day after the announcement of the killing of Bin Laden, I heard someone in the reception area of the Youth for Christ building yelling out, “He’s dead, he’s dead—yea!” A little later someone stated, “at last he is dead, now he will rot in hell!” Again I was troubled, asking myself if this was how believers should react to the violent death of an “enemy”.
As followers of Jesus how should we respond to this announcement? What did you feel when you heard Bin Laden was dead? Should we celebrate?
What does God’s Word say about our enemies?
As I sat in my office early this morning, the day after the announcement of the killing of Bin Laden, I heard someone in the reception area of the Youth for Christ building yelling out, “He’s dead, he’s dead—yea!” A little later someone stated, “at last he is dead, now he will rot in hell!” Again I was troubled, asking myself if this was how believers should react to the violent death of an “enemy”.
As followers of Jesus how should we respond to this announcement? What did you feel when you heard Bin Laden was dead? Should we celebrate?
What does God’s Word say about our enemies?
“Do not gloat when your enemies fall; when they stumble, do not let your heart rejoice.” ~Proverbs 24:17
“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.” ~Ezekiel 33:11
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” ~Matthew 5:44
How many of us who follow Jesus prayed for the salvation of Osama Bin Laden? I didn’t.
HOW DO WE REACT WHEN WE ARE VICTIMS OF INJUSTICE?
Recently Jenny and I and our family have experienced injustice. We have been victimized by a system that seems to reward the most accomplished liars and supports the powerful, the influential and the oppressor. How do we react?
As Jenny and I struggled with the injustice our family has been experiencing, I asked one of my prayer intercessors to join with us in prayer. I requested that she and her prayer team pray that the truth would prevail and that justice would be done. But that didn’t happen. A hearing before a magistrate went very badly and lies and manipulation of the system won the day. Honestly, my reaction was to wish ill of the perpetrator of the injustice. It didn’t help when our family’s lawyer said, “I have never felt this way before, but I wish that person would just drop dead.” This lawyer felt powerless to do anything about a great injustice, and his response fed our desire for the demise of those who were victimizing our family.
When I reported the outcome of the hearing to our prayer intercessor she asked what I wanted her to pray for now. I didn’t know how to answer her. I knew I couldn’t tell her to pray that the one who was persecuting us would “drop dead”. So I said I didn’t know what she should prayer for. After several days she came back to me and said the only thing she felt she could pray for was the salvation of the person who was hurting our family so much. She was right; when it comes to praying about those who we consider to be our enemies, we are directed in the Bible to pray for their salvation.
God’s Word clearly instructs us to pray for our enemies—to intercede for those who seek our demise and are intent on hurting and oppressing us.
HOW DO WE REACT WHEN WE ARE VICTIMS OF INJUSTICE?
Recently Jenny and I and our family have experienced injustice. We have been victimized by a system that seems to reward the most accomplished liars and supports the powerful, the influential and the oppressor. How do we react?
As Jenny and I struggled with the injustice our family has been experiencing, I asked one of my prayer intercessors to join with us in prayer. I requested that she and her prayer team pray that the truth would prevail and that justice would be done. But that didn’t happen. A hearing before a magistrate went very badly and lies and manipulation of the system won the day. Honestly, my reaction was to wish ill of the perpetrator of the injustice. It didn’t help when our family’s lawyer said, “I have never felt this way before, but I wish that person would just drop dead.” This lawyer felt powerless to do anything about a great injustice, and his response fed our desire for the demise of those who were victimizing our family.
When I reported the outcome of the hearing to our prayer intercessor she asked what I wanted her to pray for now. I didn’t know how to answer her. I knew I couldn’t tell her to pray that the one who was persecuting us would “drop dead”. So I said I didn’t know what she should prayer for. After several days she came back to me and said the only thing she felt she could pray for was the salvation of the person who was hurting our family so much. She was right; when it comes to praying about those who we consider to be our enemies, we are directed in the Bible to pray for their salvation.
God’s Word clearly instructs us to pray for our enemies—to intercede for those who seek our demise and are intent on hurting and oppressing us.
But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ~Luke 6:27, 28
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ~Romans 12:14
Jesus prayed from the cross for those who were crucifying him:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” ~Luke 23:34
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” ~Acts 7:60
SEEK JUSTICE
In Isaiah 1:17 we are told, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.” And in Isaiah 58:6, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Proverbs 31:8, 9 instructs us to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” And Proverbs 29:7 declares, ”The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” God clearly directs us in his Word to address injustice.
Defending the defenseless, championing the cause of the oppressed and protecting the vulnerable from violence are Biblical imperatives for the believer. We should never waiver in our struggle against injustice. And we should be proactive in seeking justice. There is much truth in the well known quote by Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
But when great injustice has been done should we seek vengeance? Osama Bin Laden has been the perpetrator of much violence, suffering and death in this world. Many have sought vengeance for what he has done and have been waiting years for Osama Bin Laden to be found and “get what he deserved”. But is vengeance a worthy pursuit for a believer?
God is very clear that hatred and vengeance are not valid options for those who would follow him:
In Isaiah 1:17 we are told, “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the orphan. Fight for the rights of widows.” And in Isaiah 58:6, “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Proverbs 31:8, 9 instructs us to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.” And Proverbs 29:7 declares, ”The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” God clearly directs us in his Word to address injustice.
Defending the defenseless, championing the cause of the oppressed and protecting the vulnerable from violence are Biblical imperatives for the believer. We should never waiver in our struggle against injustice. And we should be proactive in seeking justice. There is much truth in the well known quote by Edmund Burke: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
But when great injustice has been done should we seek vengeance? Osama Bin Laden has been the perpetrator of much violence, suffering and death in this world. Many have sought vengeance for what he has done and have been waiting years for Osama Bin Laden to be found and “get what he deserved”. But is vengeance a worthy pursuit for a believer?
God is very clear that hatred and vengeance are not valid options for those who would follow him:
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is
written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
~Romans 12:19-21
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
~Romans 12:17
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.
~Leviticus 19:18
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
~Matthew 5:43, 44
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
It seems to me that what God asks of us is that we be defenders rather than aggressors. Our role is to defend the defenseless and to proactively intervene wherever and whenever we encounter injustice. But the motivation for this should never be revenge or hatred. Our motivation should always be the cause of the victims of the injustice.
So how should we view the death of Osama Bin Laden? From many perspectives the killing was justified. But as representatives of Jesus and His Kingdom our response should not be driven by vengeance but rather the necessity to defend the defenseless. We should view this event with sadness because the life of another human being was taken to prevent the further violation, victimization and death of others.
Osama Bin Laden is dead and he can no longer hurt others. But if we delight in his death and respond with celebration and glee, rather than evil being defeated it will have triumphed once more and the enemy will have been given a further foothold in the world.
It seems to me that what God asks of us is that we be defenders rather than aggressors. Our role is to defend the defenseless and to proactively intervene wherever and whenever we encounter injustice. But the motivation for this should never be revenge or hatred. Our motivation should always be the cause of the victims of the injustice.
So how should we view the death of Osama Bin Laden? From many perspectives the killing was justified. But as representatives of Jesus and His Kingdom our response should not be driven by vengeance but rather the necessity to defend the defenseless. We should view this event with sadness because the life of another human being was taken to prevent the further violation, victimization and death of others.
Osama Bin Laden is dead and he can no longer hurt others. But if we delight in his death and respond with celebration and glee, rather than evil being defeated it will have triumphed once more and the enemy will have been given a further foothold in the world.
