Revile Not

“For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” I Peter 2:19-23

After I retired I begin umpiring softball games and really enjoyed it and had gotten good reviews from my superiors. In one game, I made a call that was criticized by the team it went against. They argued the call and made derogatory comments about my umpiring in general. I let it go and it did not initially bother me as it was part of umpiring. However, they would not let it go and continued crazy derogatory comments for the remaining inning of the game. I was a new umpire and should have taken control and threw someone out of the game but did not.

After the last out, one member of the team walked past me and made another derogatory comment. At that point, I had enough and told him to meet me at my car that in the parking lot if he wanted some satisfaction. I waited but neither he or any of the other players ever came but my superiors found out and justifiably temporarily suspended me. Even though I was unjustly reviled, the team was playing a little drunk and lost by a lot – the call made no difference in the game, I responded in the wrong way. Reviled, like Christ, I should not have reviled in return. The temporary loss of the umpire job was insignificant but the hit to my Christian testimony was concerning. I let my pride get in the way and instead of turning the other check I reviled back and this over a very insignificant thing, a few players questioning my call.

A day is coming, perhaps soon, when Christians that stand for the Word can expect a much more serious type of reviling as our country slips into Sodom and Gomorra. We have been called to suffering. We need to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit residing in each of us to lay aside our pride and accept any reviling as part of filling up the sufferings of Christ. Christ is our example on how to respond. He did not revile or threaten revenge (although 10,000 angels were at His disposal) but rather entrusted Himself to the one who judges justly and will make all things come right in the end. We should do the same.