September 24: Insight Post by Rusty Coram

  -   September 24, 2025

Mercy Over Revenge: Jesus instructs us to show mercy and forgiveness rather than seek revenge. By choosing mercy, we follow Jesus’ example and break the cycle of hatred and retaliation.

Wednesday Verse

Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)

Wednesday Questions

When have I been tempted to seek revenge or hold a grudge? How can I choose mercy and forgiveness instead?

Wednesday Insight Post
by Rusty Coram

I don’t imagine I am alone in saying that Jesus’ command (it’s not a suggestion) to “love your enemies”, when honestly evaluated, is excruciatingly difficult. When we have been slandered, gossiped about, abandoned, or mistreated in other way we don’t deserve, our natural inclination is for those who hurt us to pay. Just look at the movies we gravitate to that have heroes exacting revenge and vigilante justice. Here is our Savior and Leader’s call to action for us:

“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! ⁴⁵ In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:43-45 (NLT)

I can hear it now, “But Jesus…”

If we are going to represent Him to a watching world, then His approach is what we need to adopt, and this will require His help. Speaking about Dr. Martin Luther King’s non-violent stance, Richard Rohr writes: “He thought it self-evident that the attitudes of nonviolence were finally impossible without an infusion of agape love from God and our reliance upon that infusion. He defined agape love as willingness to serve without the desire for reciprocation, willingness to suffer without the desire for retaliation, and willingness to reconcile without the desire for domination. This is clearly a Divine love that the small self cannot achieve by itself. We must live in and through Another to be truly nonviolent.”

It is no surprise to see that in the list describing what God’s Holy Spirit gives us, this agape love is first: “But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”    Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT)                     

Rusty Coram
Senior Pastor

New Hope Church
Lorton, Virginia
www.newhope.org