The Victimization Story: Us In Spite of Them
February 9, 2025
Psalm 137:1-9, Matthew 5:1-12
Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins
Alongside Babylon’s streams, there we sat down, crying because we remembered Zion. We hung our lyres up in the trees there because that’s where our captors asked us to sing; our tormentors requested songs of joy: “Sing us a song about Zion!” they said. But how could we possibly sing the Lord’s song on foreign soil?
Psalm 137:1-4
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The Victimization Story revolves around suffering and oppression, shaping an identity rooted in past harm. In the first century, many Jews saw themselves as victims of Roman oppression, a sentiment deeply tied to their history of exile and subjugation. Psalm 137 vividly expresses this experience:
"By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars, we hung our harps" (Psalm 137:1-2).
This psalm reflects the pain of the Babylonian exile, where the Jewish people were torn from their homeland, mocked by their captors, and forced to sing songs of Zion in a foreign land. Their suffering was real, their grief legitimate, and their longing for justice palpable. These experiences of oppression carried forward into the Roman occupation, where heavy taxes, exploitation, and loss of autonomy deepened their sense of victimhood.
Despite their legitimate suffering, Jesus challenges the Victimization Story as the defining narrative of their identity. He declares, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Jesus acknowledges the reality of oppression but offers a vision of hope. He calls His followers to see beyond their suffering to the transformative power of God’s kingdom. His resurrection stands as the ultimate rejection of victimhood, transforming suffering into victory and calling His followers to live in the hope of God’s justice and restoration.
In today’s world, the Victimization Story persists both personally and in our larger society. On a personal level, individuals often cling to past hurts, defining themselves by wounds and grievances. Socially, groups may highlight injustices, sometimes justifiably, while also perpetuating cycles of resentment and division rather than seeking healing.
Jesus does not dismiss the reality of suffering and victimization, but he invites us to move beyond this story so that it does not become our core identity. He calls us to acknowledge pain and injustice while refusing to let them define us. Instead, He offers a path of forgiveness, healing, and reconciliation. This does not negate the legitimacy of suffering but transforms it into a story of hope that inspires others. Jesus’ story is not one that avoids suffering and death, but rather one that invites us to transcend death through resurrection.
Are there areas where you are holding onto past hurts that prevent healing?
How can you share your story of suffering in a way that brings hope and healing to others?
How might Jesus’ resurrection inspire you to live beyond victimhood?