One of my favorite action movies is the John Wick series. Great acting and cinematography; and the level of action is second to none. In spite of that, the John Wick movies has a central theme: revenge. While the movies are wildly entertaining, each chapter of the Wick films builds on the destructive properties of vengeance.
There are many other popular movies with reprisal etched in the plot, including The Punisher, Kill Bill, Carrie, V for Vendetta, and The Crow just to name a few. While the storylines vary in each film, it is centered around avenging a wrongdoing. Even though these revenge-themed movies are fictitious, we don’t have to look very far to see how revenge can affect us personally.
You see vindictiveness sewn throughout human history going back to Cain and Abel. During the period of Moses and the Israelites, revenge got a temporary “stamp of approval.” This was a result of the hardness of hearts by the Israelites. The same for divorce. When Our Blessed Lord then steps onto the scene (pun intended) into His public ministry, He had to change the hearts of a culture that was accustomed to “an eye for an eye” as prescribed in Leviticus.
“If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.” -Matthew 6:14-15
Saint Peter asked Our Blessed Lord “how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus responds, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times!” (Matthew 18:21-22). Seventy-seven is a figurative number. Our Lord was saying there is no end to the amount of forgiveness you can offer to another.
Sometimes you have to confront someone that has done you wrong. Jesus said if you confront that person that has sinned against you and he listens, then you have regained back your brother. However, if he doesn’t listen to you, confront him with two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen even then, tell it to the Church and if he refuses to listen even to the Church send him on his merry way. Forgiveness is one element, but there are times you have to move on from that individual and dissociate yourself from them if possible. If for some reason you cannot remove them from your life, ask the Lord to help you carry that cross.
The Mosaic Law laid down the judgment of “eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Leviticus 24:17-20). It gave the right for the injured party to seek retribution in an equal amount. This was part in the Jewish culture then, and still is today, for those that follow the Law of Moses. Jesus, in a way, had to retrain the minds and hearts of His followers and disciples from an “eye for an eye” to show mercy and forgiveness, even though justice is deserved.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.” -Matthew 5:11-12
The second of the two greatest commandments Jesus taught is to love your neighbor as yourself. If you truly have love for your fellow human: family, friends, and even strangers, then you cannot take revenge on someone in any form, and that includes gossip. How do we rectify then if someone causes harm to us? You try to reconcile. And if it cannot, you send them packing, with charity of course.
We have the natural, moral laws inscribed on our hearts. Even if a non-Christian doesn’t believe in Jesus, His Church, or Scripture, they still have engrained on their soul that it is wrong to be uncharitable. Due to original sin, our moral compass is off, plus you have Satan and his evil minions filling our heads with twisted reasons why revenge could be justified and to act on our impulses.
When it comes to movies that contain a revenge theme, there’s something gratifying about watching the antagonist get their just reward by the hands of the “good guy” such as John Wick. Sometimes the line is blurred who the “good guy” is from a moral perspective since there was a body count of 439 by Wick in the first four films. What can we learn about revenge from a fictional movie and in real life? Leave vengeance for the movies. You may want justice for an unlawful act a person did to you. But mercy triumphs over judgement (James 2:13). And as Saint Paul writes to the Romans: “Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’”
If you’re unfamiliar with John Wick, here is the trailer from the first movie.
Living Disciple 
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