The Root of Bitterness
After someone has wronged you, have you ever noticed how much you want justice? Even in simple things, we want to exert our rights when we’ve been wronged. For example, a car cuts us of – and we instantly honk or throw our arms up…
Of course, Satan loves it when we justify ourselves by saying, “We just want justice,” or “We just want the truth,” or “We just want to be heard,” or “We just want an apology.” Notice how the word just is inside both words justify and justice.
We convince ourselves that we want is what’s within our rights, but the truth is often how we are more concerned about someone else wronging us. Perhaps this is why Jesus said, “Watch yourselves!” Notice how this is not a warning to watch the other guy, but to watch ourselves when someone has wronged us. The whole paragraph says, “Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
In an explanation of this passage, the great theologian, Timothy Keller, explained how four English words are derived from the same root word: Wrath, Wreath, Writhe, and Wraith. When we look at these words, we know that wrath means twisted in anger.
Of course, wreath means twisting branches together to form a circle. Writhe is a word we would say to describe someone who is twisted in pain. But the most interesting word, wraith, is used to describe a ghost or a spirit who had been wronged in this life and is now and eternally twisted and haunted with the offense that caused them to become bitter, because they could not forgive.
No wonder Jesus wants us to watch out!! He wants us to watch out for ourselves if someone wrongs us! This is not a call to watch out for the bad guys – but to watch ourselves for how we respond when things go badly.
Tim Keller goes on to explain how when we get twisted, filled with wrath, it affects all areas of our lives. Anger twists us into grudges, we have less joy in our lives, we become afraid of trusting, we become hard, exacting and more. On the other hand, if we have an attitude of forgiveness first, we can always remember that no matter who wrongs us, or how we are wronged, we are both sinners, and God loves both of us.
Jesus’ warning to “Watch out” is teaching us, way in advance of the chance, to decide…. To chose…. To never be offended again. To not allow any root of bitterness or offense inside your heart or mind.
As God said through Moses almost four thousand years ago, “Today I have given you the choice. The choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
In the case of offense and being offended, lets choose to be gracious, forgiving people, so it becomes the core of who we are.
