“Because the Lord revealed their plot to me, I knew it, for at that time he showed me what they were doing. I had been like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter; I did not realize that they had plotted against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree and its fruit; let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.” But you, Lord Almighty, who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause.” Jeremiah 11:18-20

I read a devotion this week about vengeance and it reminded how I was taught at St. John’s Lutheran to forgive and turn the other cheek and these passages from Jeremiah seem to say “Judge them now Lord; I want to watch." But if we condemn Jeremiah or other people in the sin filled world who say similar things, we might be missing something that is really important. It is true that as Christians we are forbidden to take revenge; forbidden to curse or wish ill on other people and are instead told to pray for our enemies and to show love to them if it ever happens that we can do them a good turn. All of that is true. But none of that invalidates our thirst for justice while living on this side of Heaven. We can learn from Jeremiah. Angry as he is, he does not take justice into his own hands; he leaves it to the Lord. Father, we turn our times of being wronged over to You. We place them, all of them, at the foot of the Cross of Your Son Jesus, the reason of Advent. Take them and deal with them in Your time and in Your way. As we forgive those who have wronged us and our country, may Your Holy Spirit come and dwell within them and change their lives; inside and out. Lord, please help me to lean on You when I am unjustly hurt by this world and help me to turn to You completely. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.