Romans 12:19-21 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay… (children's sermon): — To "overcome evil with good" is — I. THE CHEAPEST WARFARE. War is One of the dearest things that men have to do with. The Napoleonic wars cost England £200,000 every day. It costs the nations of Europe, to keep up the preparations of war, £200,000,000 every year. What a frightful sum to pay, just for the sake of killing men. Why, with a very small part of that sum we could clothe and feed all the poor people in the world, and send missionaries wherever they were needed. But to "overcome evil with good" it is not necessary to buy guns, swords, etc. Kind words cost nothing; and kind actions cost next to nothing. II. THE PLEASANTEST. The other warfares in which men engage are very unpleasant from — 1. The labour involved. Soldiers often have to make long and fatiguing journeys, with heavy burdens on their backs. Think of what British soldiers during the Indian Mutiny had to suffer, and Napoleon's army in the Russian campaign. But there is no toil or labour like this connected with this warfare. Here, the enemy against whom we have to fight is "Evil," and we may find it in the ugly dispositions, either in ourselves or those around us. We have no toilsome journey to undertake to find it. 2. The danger. But those who are engaged in the best warfare are perfectly safe. God takes care of them. "Who is he that can harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?" 3. The pain and suffering. But, in "the best warfare," no blood is shed; no bones are broken; no wives are made widows; no children made orphans. This warfare heals wounds, but never inflicts them. It saves life, but never destroys it. III. THE MOST EFFECTUAL. Kindness will conquer when nothing else can. There is the greatest difference in the world between conquering by power and conquering by kindness. The former is like building a dam across a stream of water; the latter is like drying up its springs. The one is like keeping a lion from doing harm by chaining him; the other changing his nature and turning him into a lamb. IV. THE MOST HONOURABLE. Beasts and men conquer by force, but God conquers by love. If we try to conquer by kindness or love, we are imitating God. Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon, tried to conquer the world by power, but they did not succeed. Jesus is trying to conquer the world by love. He is succeeding. He will succeed. V. ALL MAY ENGAGE IN IT. When they are enlisting soldiers for an army, they will only take men, and men not too old, or too young. But old and young, women and children, sick and lame, may take part here, as well as strong men. (R. Newton, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. |
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