Our previous meditation established the need to be patient with all men. That helps people to mature into their destinies. Without it, we will cut people off at the slightest provocation. Besides that, unless we learn to be patient we will be tempted to pay back those who offend us in their own coin. This would negate the principle of the Kingdom of God and plunge us back to the era of the law. Rendering evil for evil is what is called vengeance. We are taught not to go that way. Impatience with people will lead to vengeance, as you will be tempted to lash back at anyone who wrongs you. Forgiveness goes hand in hand with patience.
Several reasons make pursuit of vengeance an undesirable course of action. One, there is no justice in vengeance. If someone hurts you with words, for example, when you want to pay back you will look for something more damaging. If you give more than you received you are already unjust. On another note, when someone is bent on exacting vengeance for every wrong, he sets himself up to be treated without mercy when he himself errs. The story of the servant in Jesus’ parable comes to mind here. He was forgiven of a huge debt. Shortly after that he grabbed a fellow servant by the throat to demand a lesser amount. He wound up in jail. Jesus put the old order to rest in His teaching on the mount. He reminded them how the law says an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. In the new order, He would rather have them suffer wrong than taking issues into their hands. We belong to the new order where love covers a multitude of sins.