A Case of Revenge
Romans 12:19-21
20On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.“A Case of Revenge” is episode #398 of the Adventures in Odyssey audio series. It was written and directed by Phil Lollar, and originally aired on April 4, 1998.
Summary
After Rodney Rathbone wrecks Jared DeWhite's science fair project, Jared accuses him of all sorts of additional misdoings around town.
Plot
At the school science fair, Cody Carper, Mandy Straussberg, Jared DeWhite, and Dwayne Oswald are checking out each other’s projects. While Jared is demonstrating his model plane, Rodney Rathbone steals and destroys it, causing destruction to the science fair in the process. Rodney is suspended by the principal, but Jared vows to get revenge.
Whit reminds Jared that Jesus calls us to love our enemies, but when Mandy's cat, Simpson, disappears, Jared is quick to assume that Rodney had something to do with it. While Whit and Jared go to the park to search for Simpson, Whit advises Jared to assume that Rodney is innocent until they have proof that he is guilty. Whit and Jared meet Dwayne and Cody, whose bikes have been stolen, and once again Jared accuses Rodney. As they leave the park, Jared finds a pocketknife with Rodney's initials carved into it, which he takes as proof of Rodney's guilt.
On the way back to Whit's End, they discover the elementary school is on fire. Officer McCoy tells Whit that someone started the fire with a gas can, but they have no suspects. Jared blames Rodney, citing his behavior at the science fair and saying he is a pyromaniac. Whit and Jared accompany Officer McCoy to the Rathbone's house and when it appears to Jared that Rodney is trying to escape, he accuses him of all the things that have happened that day. They find rags soaked in gasoline in Rodney's garage, so McCoy takes Rodney to the police station for questioning.
When Jared brags to Mandy about what happened to Rodney, she tells him that Simpson hadn't been stolen at all. Then Jared runs into Dwayne and Cody with their bikes, which had been taken by their parents to teach them a lesson about locking them up. They think that Rodney's pocketknife probably dropped out of his pocket at the park because he hangs around there a lot. As the evidence of Rodney's innocence builds, Jared goes to see Whit, who says that the fire department now believes that the fire was started by electrical wiring, and the gas can had been left by a janitor, proving that Rodney is innocent of the charges.
Jared admits he accused Rodney because he was angry at him for ruining his plane. Whit remarks that revenge can blind us to the truth, which is why we should leave the vengeance to God. On the way to the Odyssey Juvenile Detention Center, where Rodney is being held, Whit and Jared come across Officer McCoy's police car, which has run off into a ditch. McCoy is injured and Rodney, who is supposed to be in the back seat, is missing. Whit and Jared go looking for him and discover he has fallen into a dry well and broken his arm. Whit goes for help, leaving Jared behind to apologize to Rodney. Whit lowers Jared into the well with a rope and Rodney apologizes for ruining the plane while Whit pulls both boys out with his car.
Later, at Whit's End, just as Jared is proclaiming he has learned his lesson about getting revenge and accusing people without the facts, he realizes his hat is missing and immediately assumes it's been stolen. Whit points out that the cap is on the floor, which ends Jared's accusations.
Discussion Questions
- Jared accused Rodney of several things before he really knew the facts. It turns out that Jared was totally wrong. Do you know a commandment about this?
- Why doesn’t God want us taking revenge?
- What does the Bible say to do when we’re angry toward someone? (Hint: it has something to do with a sunset.)
- Did Jared follow this verse? How did his disobedience cause problems?
Cast
Heard in episode
Mentioned in episode
Character | Mentioned By |
---|---|
Bart Rathbone | Rodney Rathbone |
Doris Rathbone | Rodney Rathbone |
Mrs. DeWhite | Jared DeWhite |
Richard Carper | Cody Carper |
Notes
- Trivia
- This is the second episode in which Rodney must be rescued from an unsafe, abandoned structure by one of his victims while the police search for him in the background, after which he and his victim reconcile (at least temporarily). This occurred previously with Isaac Morton and Officer O'Ryan, respectively, in #121: “Missing Person”.
- This is also the second Rodney episode in which Rodney faces difficulty getting the townsfolk to take him seriously — the first being #189: “No, Honestly!”. A similar subplot would appear later in #548: “Sounds Like a Mystery”.
- Goofs
- Jared calls his RC airplane in this episode a "P-51 Mustang Spitfire". The North American P-51 Mustang was a completely different plane from the Supermarine Spitfire.
- Interestingly enough, in #455: “Best Laid Plans”, Josh's model is a P-51 Mustang also.
Quotes
Jared DeWhite: Some dirty low-down no-good louse took my cap! That really stinks!
Jared DeWhite: I'm the vanguard of justice around here, and Rodney's the one who needs van-guarding!
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