When someone hurts me, I want them to hurt too. Hurt often results in anger building up inside us. And so often, we use that anger as an excuse to be cruel to the one who hurt us. Mark Twain sums up the effects of this anger inside of us when he says, “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” Once we have given our anger free reign, we are often left feeling worse off than we did before. So it is evident that it does not pay to “get someone back.” “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”(Proverbs 29:11)

Looking at our Lord Jesus, we see a different picture altogether. He responded quite the opposite when He was insulted, slapped in the face, spat on, mocked at and beaten to a pulp. In Him we see the opposite of what would be the expected response under such circumstances. He is the WAY. In other words, His way of doing is the Way that would lead us to the Father. So, it makes sense to find out how He handled the pain of being wronged.

Pilate asked Jesus if He is not going to say anything about the claims the people are bringing against Him. Pilate was aware that the people have no legitimate reason for wanting to crucify Jesus. The Bible says, “He [Pilate] knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.” (Matthew 27:18). Pilate also fully understood the weight of the matter. The fact that Jesus was handed over to him, meant the people wanted Him dead. Because Pilate could see that the accusations were unfounded and that he was handed an innocent man, he expected Jesus to say something in his defense. But, says the Bible, “Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge -to the great amazement of the governor.” (Matthew 27:14).

While we are quick to defend ourselves when being wronged, Jesus did the opposite. He didn’t avenge of defend Himself because He trusted that His Father will judge righteously. Centuries before this event took place, Isaiah gave a vivid account of what will transpire there:

“It was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for His own sins! But He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on Him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet He never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, He did not open His mouth.” Isaiah 53:4-7 (NLT)

Jesus was completely innocent of all charges, yet did not retaliate. The reason He could fully release the situation into the hands of His Father was because of His unshakable trust in the character of God. He knew God won’t let injustice continue indefinitely. He knew His Father is a Righteous God. And so it is also possible for us to fully surrender a situation in which we are wronged into the hands of God only if we fully trust Him to come to our defense. In fact, God waits for us to leave it to Him. If we do that, that’s when He steps in. Did someone insult you; persecute you? You have two options: You can insult him back; get him back or you can lay it on the shoulders of the One who receives these things as if it were done against Him personally.

Notice that when Jesus appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, He asked Paul why he was persecuting Him. Now, we know Paul never persecuted Jesus Himself, but the followers of the Lord. However, from the Lord’s words here, we can see that He took Paul’s persecution of His followers as if Paul was persecuting Him personally: ”He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, ’Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?’ ’Who are You, Lord?’ Saul asked. ’I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ He replied.” (Acts 9:4-5).

I pray that our trust in our Father will grow to such an extent, that when we are insulted, wronged, cheated, and persecuted, we will be able to surrender the situation to our Lord and let Him repay. As the hymn says, ”O, what needless pain we bear…all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.” The hymn also says we forfeit peace when we fail to take our trials to the Lord in prayer. Prayer is not our last option after all else has failed. It is our first line of action. That’s where we find the peace that transcends all understanding.

“When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21)  

“Don’t worry about anything. Instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT).