Walking with the Wise #275: The Proper Response

“If anyone returns evil for good,


evil will not depart from his house.”
—Proverbs 17:13

How do you respond when someone does something nice for you? Are you thankful? Do you feel unworthy? Do you recognize what they’ve done? What do you do in return? Many of us feel that responsibility of having to do something nice in return, and very often, if we have the means, we do. But, every so often, we find ourselves in a situation whereby someone does an act of kindness that is beyond our ability to comprehend. Whether we felt underserving of receiving it, or we felt too good for it, we are duty bound to be thankful.

Consider the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:29-37. If you recall the story, it is about a man who was mugged and left for dead on the side of the road. The first two men pass by—one a priest and the other a Levite—but neither stops to help. It is the third man, a Samaritan, who passes by and helps him at considerable cost to himself (cf. v. 35). The reason the story was so difficult for Jesus’ audience to hear was because of the racial component. For them, it was unfathomable to have a Samaritan help a Jew. Samaritans were despised because they were considered an impure race of half-breeds and heretics—racially mixed with the pagan Assyrians, who possessed and adhered to the first five books of the Bible, commonly referred to as the Torah.

Jesus’ parable would have enraged His audience, but Jesus’ point was clear—it is not simply a matter of doctrine that justifies us, but of faith-born behavior and helping those in need. It is our works that demonstrate the tangible reality of our faith.

Now, imagine for a moment we could carry the story on further. What if the man whom the Samaritan helped later turned his back on the Samaritan simply because he was Samaritan? What if the Samaritan were in need and the Jewish man rejected him? Wouldn’t we say that he was petty? Wouldn’t we say that his failure to help the Samaritan after all that he had done for him—was egregious? I think so.

Today’s parable is addressing exactly that—how we respond to those who have helped us. Failure to be kind to them, or, if we were to return evil for their good, would leave us cursed by God Himself. When God said, “evil will not depart from his house,” He wanted us to understand that we would not be the only ones affected—but also our family and possibly the greater community. Evil would pursue him for his failure to respond in kind.

How have you responded to someone’s goodness to you? Have you thanked them? If you have done wrong in response to their act of kindness, go and ask them for forgiveness! If you haven’t, don’t wait! Call, text, write, or email them right now! Don’t put it off any longer! Being right with God means being right with man! Do acts in keeping with repentance and let God be your advocate! Amen.