“Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.” 1 Peter 3:9
Henry F. Potter - the richest and meanest man in Bedford Falls.
George Bailey - ?
What is George Bailey? A friend? A dutiful son? A selfless brother? An enabled who facilitated the selfishness of others so he could bask in the glow of victimhood? Or how about Mr. Potter’s estimation of George, “an intelligent, smart, ambitious young man?,” or in his latter estimation, “a warped, frustrated, young man”?
And what about Mr. Potter? Do we know his back story? A man confined to a wheelchair - presumably because of polio. A man robbed of his legs, his virility, robbed of having a wife and children. Was his job offer to George an attempt at redemption? What impact could George have made on Mr. Potter? Could Geroge have been a light in the darkness? Perhaps, but we will never know because George in his moral superiority (and in the one-dimensional scripting) rejects Potter’s offer, returning evil for evil as he lambasts Potter’s character and motivation. George’s seething anger boils forth.
There are no good people. That is just a fact1. There are no perfectly good George Baileys or perfectly evil Mr. Potters. We are all corrupted and broken by sin. If we do any good it is by God’s leading alone. So why then should we return evil for evil? Rather, return good for evil, just as God has done with us in the giving of His only Son. If God could show mercy, shouldn’t we? Can we not at least be charitable in our thoughts?
Mr. Christmas Mr. Potter!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for not giving us what we truly deserve - death and damnation. Instead, you gave us the gift of salvation through your Son, so that we might be saved from our sin. Help us to return good for evil in our lives, just as Christ did toward those who persecuted and ultimately killed him. This I pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
“And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Mark 10:17-18