Theme: AVENGE NOT YOURSELVES
Text: “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him”. Luke 17:3,4.
Comment: In his days on earth, our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, taught his disciples of the need to avoid offences and of how to treat an offending brother. In verse one of Luke chapter 17 he told them, “It is impossible but that offences will come”, showing, that man, due to his imperfect nature, despite repeated warnings, will always offend and by their offences, even make others to sin: for which reason they will not go unpunished except they repent. In verses three and four, he then instructed; that if our brother should offend us, we should correct him and where he apologizes, we should immediately and without reservation, forgive him. And in forgiving, that we should be ready to forgive as many times as required. In other words, we should not at all, retain evil done to us, in our hearts.
To be able to live up to this standard, laid down by our savior Jesus Christ, we need humility, patience, perseverance, longsuffering and above all, love or charity in dealing with ourselves. It was James the apostle who stated, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God”. (James 1:19-20). Apostle Paul added: “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”. – Colossians 3:13.