More Reflections on Jesus and Justice

Mark Driscoll writes to a man in his church who discovered his wife had cheated on him with his close friend.

Luke, as your friend and pastor I am deeply grieved by the sins your wife and your former friend committed against you. I can only imagine the righteous anger that wells up in you on the occasions that you see in your imagination the things your alleged friend did with your wife in your own bed. When you are haunted by the thought of your friend betraying you with a kiss, it will be important for you to get some time to prayerfully talk it through with Jesus Christ. As Hebrews 4:15 says, Jesus can and does “sympathize” with you. You will remember that Jesus had a good “friend” named Judas who also betrayed him with a kiss. Rather than ever repenting of his sin and begging for forgiveness, Judas went out, threw a rope over a tree, and hanged himself. In Acts 1:18–19, Peter tells us that Judas’s body burst open and his bloody intes- tines spilled out. Subsequently, the place where Judas hanged himself after betraying his friend with a kiss was called the “Field of Blood.”

I am sure that, as a man who appreciates justice, the temptation to make your former friend bleed in his own “Field of Blood” for what he has done is very strong. I would encourage you not to let your anger lead you into sin but rather to remember that one way or another you will get your blood from him also. Either he will come to repentance of his sin and faith in Jesus so that he can be saved through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross, or he will stand before Jesus to be condemned. On this point, Romans 5:8–10 is insightful:

[8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.

Paul’s words speak of what Jesus has accomplished for you through his shed blood. Conversely, they also speak of what your friend will not enjoy if he fails to repent of his sin and receive Jesus.

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