Vindication.

Sin-nature Bethany desires a lot of things that Redeemed-nature Bethany tries to overcome.

Like Vindication.

In the Psalms, David prays over and over again, “Lord, let my vindication come from you.”

I think that was his Redeemed-nature David trying to overcome a natural reaction that Sin-nature David would have let play itself out.

The word Vindication means “To show that somebody or something is justified or correct; to defend or maintain something such as rights.”

David was praying against his desire to maintain his rights.

Do you ever feel that being anything less than defensive will be a trampling of your rights?

And usually, I admit, when we feel that way there probably is a little truth to it.

For me, there is this urge to have people know, or better yet, ACCEPT that what I have done was good and excellent and worth appreciating.

Sometimes, I admit, I have felt that it was my RIGHT that they accept what I have done.
Anything less than that seems a slap in the face.

And sin-nature Bethany usually comes out swinging upon being slapped. There is a “talent” I possess that, if not checked at the door and left in the coat closet forever, gives me the ability to verbally slash anyone to pieces in a matter of about 12 pointed words. I have the ability to wield a sharp sword, let’s just put it that way.

But that’s not really what Jesus would want me to do, is it?

“It is mine to avenge,” He says. “Mine to repay.”

So I try to let him use the blade.

I can see myself sitting in the corner of the room, raising an angered yet timid hand, “But what about my rights?” I imagine I would ask.

“What about them?” I imagine Jesus would respond.

 People claim rights over lots of things. Things we think are non-negotiables.

Our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Our right to free speech.

Our right to choose our healthcare.

Our right to vote.

Our right to bear arms.

Those things are all government things, aren’t they? Maybe you aren’t into government and want to disregard this topic of “rights.” Well what about this:

Our right to an apology.

Our right to a fair chance.

Our right to be ourselves.

Our right to reach our full potential.

Our right to be treated well.

We think these are non-negotiables. We are entitled to those. “I am breathing, therefore, it should be mine.”

In college I was in a communication theory class and we were talking about the nature of words. The professor was talking about how we wrongly interchange words such as rights, rules, laws. We claim something is a law when it is actually just a rule. We claim something is a law when it is a right. We claim rights are rules that should be followed to the law.

Speed limits, the professor said, are not laws. They are rules. Rules can be broken. Laws cannot. Gravity is a law. On this planet, it cannot be broken. Thermodynamics is a law. Speed limits are rules.

Rights are not laws. Rights are preferences we would prefer to be thought of as un-breakable.

There isn’t much talk in the Bible about rights.

It really only mentions one. We have a right to be punished for our sin. We have a right to go to hell.

Maybe Jesus wasn’t so odd in asking about my rights, “What about them?” He knew I didn’t want to implement my only legitimate right.

Maybe I should have restated my question: What about my desire for vindication? What about all of those times I feel like I got trampled?

“Let me take care of it,” I can almost hear him whisper. “I won’t overlook this.”

See, as a human, I don’t really have any rights. I would like to think that my dignity is a non-negotiable, but it’s not. I would prefer to live in a world where I never felt slapped across the face, where I never felt the need to wield a sharp sword. But, that’s not really this world. That doesn’t come this side of Heaven, does it? Because this world has got lots and lots of sin. And sin is a cruel mistress.

I could become resigned to the fact, I could choose to never get myself in a potentially harmful situation, I could decide to never open up again, to never do more than asked of me, but that wouldn’t really be what life is about, either. Life on the defensive is no life at all.

I could feel the light dawning in my mind.

While I don’t actually possess any rights that I want implemented, I think I failed to remember that not only is Jesus the one with the rights, he is also the one with the laws.

David knew that we have a law to let him bring vindication. That is not a part of the image of God we were bestowed with.

He is the Ancient of Days. He saw every crime that ever happened. He saw all of the injustices placed upon humanity. He saw the wrongs committed. He saw the un-appreciation.

And He knows that it is his to avenge; he will repay. He will not let the guilty go unpunished. All will give an account to him.

And he will spend my life healing all of my wounded feelings; and hopefully taking very sharp swords out of my hands.

Let my vindication come from you, Father. After all, the right to vindicate is only yours.