I received a phone message that caught me by surprise. It was a blistering, angry, cursing message that burned my ears and bruised my heart. Hell would be too good for me, the voice said.

I had been asked to conduct the funeral of a man I didn’t know. In a meeting with the family, I learned things that were helpful to know as I prepared for the funeral service. But what I said in that service had angered the man’s son. So he had called and left that message. With a tongue loosened by liquor, he let me know just how angry he was.

How should I respond? As I absorbed his anger, I prayed for grace and wisdom. I sent him a letter in which I acknowledged that it was my task to communicate clearly, but that I must have said something that caused him offense. I offered to meet him at his convenience.

I never heard from him again. But I thought of him often with pained heaviness. Every time I felt upset or troubled by this matter, I heard Jesus’ words in our text for today: respond with love, bless those who curse you, pray for them. With hurting but loving concern, I placed this situation in the hands of our gracious and loving God. The peace I feel as a result, though not untroubled, is real. Thank you, Jesus.