“Breaking Cycles of Revenge”.

The Topic for the Service of 2^nd June 2013, at St. Margaret's UCZ Church- Kitwe was entitled:  “Breaking Cycles of Revenge”.

Preacher:  Reverend Kuzipa Nalwamba

Scripture Reading:   Deuteronomy 32: 34 – 43

                                     Romans 12: 14 – 21

                                     Matthew 5:38 – 48

SERMON SUMMARY

The theme for our Service is “Breaking Cycles of Revenge.”

Deuteronomy 32: 34 – 43 was part of a departing song of Moses telling the people of God on how to live. Moses was about to reach the end of his life before handing over the reins to Joshua. It was a song telling them that vengeance belongs to God.

In Romans 12: 14 – 21 the Apostle Paul has a similar message to the Romans and the Lord talks about it in Matthew 5:38 – 48.

·         God is the only one to avenge the wrongs that the Israelis had suffered under foreign nations.

·          When the Israelis decided to take revenge on their own God punished them because he found them wanting.

At a personal level how could we revenge when we about injuries that we have done to others? If you take revenge on your own you will be biased and hence the revenge cannot be justified. Leave revenge to God. He is the one who has the power of life and death and alone can be the Judge.

The Israelis had sinned by worshipping idols and they were punished for that by being persecuted by other nations.

Genuine love hates evil but it does not give a leeway for revenge. The Jews thought that a pagan nation should not rule them. The Jews had no right to revenge against the Romans.

In Acts 16: 37 requested to see Caesar after the Jews mistreated him because he was a Roman citizen. He should not have been persecuted for what he stood for as a citizen of the Roman Empire.

In our case we should know what our rights are as citizens of the Republic of Zambia. The recent beating of worshippers in a Church in Lusaka by some political thugs comes to mind. When we are being persecuted as Paul was we are not at the mercy of the persecutors.

God is in charge and he is going to avenge on our own behalf. God’s punishment of our enemies is usually very severe and we do not even rejoice when that happens. God is truly a God of justice. Jesus in Matthew 5:38 – 48 tells us “a Tooth for a Tooth or an Eye for an Eye” type of revenge results in a cycle of revenge.

God’s revenge may not necessarily be a punishment of the enemy but his reformation.

Our sins were forgiven at the Cross and yet we were sinners.

AMEN!

  

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK: (From the Church's Weekly Bulletin)

Invitation to the Holy Communion

In many cultures, African cultures included, the sharing of a meal is the   form of fellowship and communion. The sharing of a meal is the most basic and most central family ritual, in which members of the family engage. The invitation to a guest to share in the family is accordingly an important gesture for and communion.

It is significant that Jesus chose a meal as the best context for us to remember Him. There is no

better symbol of communion, friendship and fellowship than a meal. It is instructive that Jesus did to leave to chance the question of how He was to be remembered, but sought to give His disciples very concrete clues,   guidelines and a very definite context. It is also instructive that Jesus chose a communal rather than an individual meal situation for the context of His remembrance. But we live in a world where meals – even family mealtimes-can no longer be taken for granted. In a world where some have more to eat than they can consume, there are millions who go hungry for days on end. Effectively therefore, at the global meal table, there are millions who are excluded.

What excludes them? Poverty, injustice, ethnocentrism, racism, sexism and HIV/AIDS, do. As long as the global meal table excludes some people, the church is unable to witness to and remember Christ. We must be careful that the Holy Communion does not become just mother of the many

exclusive immoral meals where few are nourished and many go hungry. Not only does Communion remind us a basic human act, it also inspires us to work for a world in which there is genuine communion among all human beings, and between God and humans.

To the table of Christ we bring bread and wine; Made by people's work in an unjust world; Where some have plenty and most go hungry; some are applauded and others despised.

At the table, everyone is fed, and no-one has to pay; Everyone shares the cup of pain and celebration; Everyone is honoured and no-one is despised.

AMEN!