The Temptation to Call Vengeance “Justice”

Scripture (1 Samuel 25:13, CEB)

“All of you, strap on your swords!”

Reflection
David’s response is immediate and decisive. No prayer. No consultation. Just action. Four hundred armed men move toward destruction, convinced they are correcting a wrong. Forgiveness often collapses at this point—not because we don’t know better, but because we’re certain we’re right.

This is one of the most honest portrayals of the human heart in Scripture. David is not cruel by nature; he is wounded and furious. The danger lies not in his anger, but in how quickly he sanctifies it. Violence becomes framed as justice. Retaliation feels like moral clarity.

Forgiveness interrupts this momentum. It asks us to slow down when everything in us wants to accelerate. It challenges the stories we tell ourselves about what is deserved. David’s swords are not just weapons—they represent all the ways we prepare to strike back with words, silence, power, or withdrawal.

The story reminds us that not every justified response is a faithful one. Forgiveness is often the refusal to let our worst impulses borrow God’s authority.

Application
Notice where you’ve already “strapped on your sword.” What response have you rehearsed that may need to be laid down?

Prayer
Lord, disarm me before I do harm.

Song suggestion“Slow Down” – Nichole Nordeman