Certainly, all of us have been hurt. If somebody curses us, then out of instinct, we curse back. If somebody puts one over us, we will inevitably wait for the right opportunity to put one over that person. How often have we heard: it is life that they got, it is life that we will take as well. In the Gospel, this kind of thinking was called, “An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” This seems fair and just, but in reality, not really due to three reasons: 

1. When we do revenge, we dig two graves: the person we hurt and ourselves. I remember a wife who caught her husband cheating. What does she say, “If you can do it, I can do it.” In the process, yes, she did hurt her husband…but she also hurt herself because of the guilt, and of course she added to hurt of the family as well.
   
2. A man who does revenge keeps the wounds alive. If you talk to people with anger, they will always blame someone. Due to the desire for revenge, the hurt will always be fresh. As a result, he or she has not moved on and let go. 
   
3. Revenge derails God’s plan for each of us. The Lord has placed us on earth because each of us has a calling, a mission, and a purpose. With revenge and anger though, we are blinded. We end up just being consumed with one thing – getting even. 

Instead of harboring revenge, Jesus has another standard. A higher, more difficult one to achieve, but definitely a better one – Forgiveness.

May we always remember that when we forgive, it is not about the other person who hurt us, it is for us. We will always benefit. Physically we get healed because many sicknesses come from negative emotions; emotionally we are more free because we can move and let go; spiritually, we become more humble.

“Lord not that I wish ill to the one who hurt me but then again I know that you have a plan in all of this.”