Defying Evil, Doing Good Sýnishorn

Hitting Close to Home

In this verse, “evil” refers to the intent to “muddy, pollute, or destroy another person’s life, family, or business.” It carries the idea of inflicting misery or distress. The concern of this passage is not some random act of viciousness inflicted on the person who cut us off in traffic (although we’ve been tempted in those moments). This verse refers to evil inflicted on someone in a close relationship—probably not with an instrument of death but with the intention of some kind of pain.

A “neighbor” is not just that guy residing across the alley who infuriates us with his unruly barking dogs. Instead, this neighbor is someone in close relational proximity. Someone we know well. Someone we interact with regularly.

You’ve probably heard that most interpersonal violence occurs within a circle of family or friends. They are not random acts of evil but relational acts of evil. One particular report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics conveyed that 16 percent of murder victims were members of the defendant’s family. Another 64 percent were murdered by friends or acquaintances. Only 20 percent were taken out by strangers.2 So, the great temptation of the human soul is to nurture ill will, coddle negative emotions, and play out hurtful behaviors. We might do “evil” in the heat of the moment or deliberately over a span of time to someone we know.

Right now, you might recall a severe reaction unleashed on your spouse when they irritated you for the hundredth time. You remember the anger released on the rude child you raised. You might recall the effort to undermine the credibility of that work associate who was pursuing the same promotion as you. These actions are reactions—reactions to hurt, threats, or just plain irritation.

Watchman Nee noted,

“At least half, if not more, of our lives are lived in reactions. . . . By observing how a person reacts, we can judge who he is. A Christian should not have unchristian reactions, nor can a non-Christian have true Christian reactions. If you want to know what sort of person someone is, just notice the kind of reactions he has.”