“David had just said, “I guarded everything that belonged to this man in the wilderness for nothing. He was not missing anything, yet he paid me back evil for good. May God punish me and do so severely if I let any of his males survive until morning.” My Lord should pay no attention to this worthless fool Nabal, for he lives up to his name: His name means ‘stupid,’ and stupidity is all he knows. I, your servant, didn’t see my Lord’s young men whom you sent. Now my Lord, as surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live— it is the Lord who kept you from participating in bloodshed and avenging yourself by your own hand—may your enemies and those who intend to harm my Lord be like Nabal. Please forgive your servant’s offense, for the Lord is certain to make a lasting dynasty for my Lord because he fights the Lord’s battles. Throughout your life, may evil not be found in you. When the Lord does for my Lord all the good he promised you and appoints you ruler over Israel, there will not be remorse or a troubled conscience for my Lord because of needless bloodshed or my Lord’s revenge. And when the Lord does good things for my Lord, may you remember me your servant.”” 1 Samuel 25:21-22, 25-26, 28, 30-31 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/1sa.25.21-30.CSB

Revenge is a natural human characteristic. When someone does us wrong, we want to do them wrong. As self-centered human beings, we are easily and often offended. Our revenge takes many forms. We stop talking to people, we curse people, and sometimes we physically hurt people. Revenge is a great evil that has haunted humanity since our inception. God will take revenge upon humanity. His revenge is just. He is right when He says humanity has sinned against Him, ignoring His commands, failing to obey Him, and instead living self-absorbed, self-gratifying lives. Yet God does not wish to take revenge. This is why He came to us in the man Jesus so that the wrath of God could be poured out upon Himself rather than upon us who rightly deserve it. Jesus did not take revenge when He lived among us. While mistreated to the point of death by humanity, He suffered humbly without returning evil for good. This is how we are to live now. As Christians, we are not to take revenge upon others even when what others do is stupid, as in Nabal’s case from our reading. All the evil done against Jesus by men was stupid, for He came in love doing good to all, His God our Creator, yet He suffered injustice for His claim to be God. Jesus took upon Himself at the cross the wrath of God that God held against humanity for our disobedience. God is just. Jesus took that wrath so that He could pardon and forgive humanity for all the sins we have committed against God. Since Jesus did not take revenge when He lived among us as one of us, we too are to forgive others, suffer injustice now, and wait for God to bring about justice when He returns again to restore the universe under His sovereign dominion.