Focus in the Fire

We know that God loves justice, and we are called to obey our civil authorities - our culture is greatly harmed when lawlessness prevails. But, we can also recognize that those who have been convicted of crimes or who have committed sin can come to know the mercy of God, which is expressed through His people. Micah chapter 6 states:
6 With what shall I come before the Lord, And bow myself before the High God? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, Ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?

The last verse in the passage is certainly an attitude adjuster, isn't it?  We are called to pursue what is good - and we know that justice and mercy are both good.  When someone wrongs us, it is a human response to seek to exact revenge, to become angry and bitter, but the Scripture teaches against it.  We have a legal system that is established to bring punishment and we should use and respect that, but we can also recognize that we should seek to be people of mercy and compassion; to pray for those who do wrong to come to a saving knowledge of Christ; after all, we have done wrong, as well.  But, Jesus has died for us all.

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We know that our God is a God of ultimate, perfect justice, but we also recognize that He is full of mercy. As it's been said, justice would require that we die for our sins, but because of God's mercy, Jesus died in our place. So, even though laws might be broken and those who do so are brought to justice, we also recognize that we can show compassion for those who commit crimes, or sin. Isaiah 30 states:
18 Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.
19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; You shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; When He hears it, He will answer you.

Several weeks ago, I shared with you about the act of vandalism that was perpetrated on a church in Nashville, and I related some of the comments of Axis Church pastor Jeremy Rose, from a Baptist Press article - he said:

“Our message to this perpetrator is, ‘Don’t come through the window, come through the door,’” he said. “Don’t feel like you have to break the window to get in.”

Rose added that whoever set the fire “could be one of our next elders or someone leading our women’s ministry, who knows.”

“We all respond in different ways carrying life’s struggle and burden,” he said. “This is the way this person responded. … I encouraged my people to see this guy’s not that much different than we are. It’s been beautiful to see our people respond with a Gospel shadow and Gospel reflex through the situation.”

From what I can tell, no one has been arrested in the crime.

An attack on a house of worship is certainly unnerving and offensive.  And, that occurrence hit closer to home not long ago, as Montgomery's First Baptist Church experienced an arson attempt.  A perpetrator set four fires in different areas of the church building after hours, including in a reception area and two sanctuaries.  There was significant smoke damage throughout the facility.

The event, and the church's subsequent response, have made national news, with CBN News reporting online about the fires and senior pastor Mark Bethea's urging on the day after the fire for congregation members to pray for the perpetrator, and his reiterating the call a few days later, according to the article:

The pastor told church members last week that an arrest had been made, then urged them to pray for the transforming love of Jesus Christ to surround the suspect.

"If I believe that Jesus saved a wretched sinner such as myself, then I believe He can save a church arsonist from their sins as well. Would you join me in praying for this person by name? Pray the Lord would open their heart to the transformative power of the Gospel."

The pastor has used this opportunity to share the gospel publicly, including media.  And, he is committed to carrying on the mission of Christ, saying: "I left the church last night more encouraged and ready to take the gospel forward than ever before," adding, "What man meant for evil, God is currently using and will use for good. I believe that with every fiber of my soul."

Jesus talked about praying for those who persecute us.  We know that He changes lives, and He can change the heart of even the most hardened sinner - that's His specialty. 

In Arlington, Texas, a shooter went in to a school and ended up injuring four people. According to Faithwire:

Just hours after tragedy struck, one 15-year-old student from Arlington, Texas, joined her community in prayer not just for the four people injured by a gunman who opened fire in her school Wednesday, but for the shooter himself.

“I want to pray for the shooter, Lord God,” said Ashlyn Henson, praying through tears. “That you’d touch his mind. Touch his heart, Jesus. That you allow him to see his wrong. That you allow him to feel that remorse and that pain he caused. And that he fixes himself in your eyes, Lord God.”

The 18-year-old suspect was taken into custody.

One of the notable storylines about all three of these incidents is the Christ-like compassion shown to the alleged perpetrators - by the respective pastors in the fires and a fellow student in the case of the shooting.  We certainly would seek justice for those who have committed crimes, but we can also desire to see those who are convicted come into a saving knowledge of Christ.  It might be counterintuitive to think about exercising compassion, especially when we have been wronged.  But, the Lord gives us the capacity to see others from His perspective.

And, we know that God's justice and mercy are perfect; in contrast to our own human ideas. I can imagine that is why Paul reminded the readers in Romans chapter 12 that the Lord says, "vengeance is mine."  For us, sometimes justice can mean settling the score or exacting revenge.  That is not the way of Christ - yes, we have laws that have been established and are enforced by officials. But, we also know God's ultimate aim is redemption, to offer forgiveness for sin, even though there are consequences for our indiscretions.