Why Pray for Those Who Hurt Us?

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Picture yourself having this conversation:

You: You tell me to forgive that person, Lord, and even pray for him, even though he hurt me. Why should I forgive him? Why shouldn’t I get even?

God: I hear you. You’ve been hurt. You’re hanging onto the hurt too long. Let it go. Let Me handle it. At judgment time, he will have to face Me.

You: Yeah, but You’re not going to condemn him, are You? You’re not going to make him suffer for what he did to me. He’s going to get off the hook, isn’t he? If he asks You to forgive him, You will, won’t You?

God: If he asks Me to forgive him, yes, I’ll forgive him…. Just like I have for you.

Christ tells us to have mercy – to forgive and pray for those who’ve hurt us. Why? Because doing so makes us more like Him. It softens our hearts to them and helps rid us of the bitterness we hold against them. Praying for them helps us see them from His perspective; we may see how their own hurt caused them to hurt us. Also, our prayers may lead them to change their ways. 

God’s mercy isn’t new to us, but Jesus’ message that God is merciful was a radical idea at that time. That’s because, in ancient times, the people thought that God wanted sacrifices, and the greater the sacrifice, the more pleased God would be. That’s why they offered Him their first fruits, sacrificed their best animals, and even sacrificed their children. But God used Abraham to try to teach the people that that wasn’t what He wanted. First, God wanted to see how far Abraham was willing to go to show his reverence for Him (see Genesis 22:1-19). Abraham proved that he would sacrifice even his son Isaac if that would please God. But God stopped Abraham from hurting Isaac – He didn’t want that sacrifice! This was the beginning of God’s trying to get through to us that He is a God of love and mercy. 

Jesus came to earth to drive home that point: He taught that loving in radical ways, such as forgiving those who’ve hurt us, was what God wanted. He commands us to be merciful, as He is. Our goal is to become more centered on Him and less on ourselves. Any sacrifices we make today, such as fasting during Lent or serving on church committees, are pleasing to God only if they strengthen our relationship with Him and make our hearts more like His. So, no matter what sacrifices we make, God doesn’t want them if we still insist on getting even with those who hurt us, cast judgment upon those who are different from us, or hold grudges. 

With His help, we can be merciful, as He is.

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” – Matthew 12:7  

“Lord, help me pray for those who’ve hurt me. Soften my heart. Make it more like Yours.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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P.S.

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