Justice has been a popular topic of discussion recently. Whether you’re reading the news or social media feeds, you don’t have to look hard to find demands for people to get what they deserve. A very ancient example is found in the book of Jonah, but despite its age it holds incredible significance for today.
To provide some context, the Assyrian Empire was well-known for their cruel conquests and torture methods, including skinning enemies, ripping their bellies open, and hacking them (Schulz). Jonah, whose own countrymen suffered at the Assyrians’ hands, preached in the capital of Nineveh that they would have to turn from their evil or be destroyed for it. To his surprise, every one of them listened, and God gave them life. But Jonah, knowing what the Assyrians had done to his people, was angry and wanted to see them suffer for their wrongs.
Our world has plenty of people today who are like the Assyrians. To name a few, we have ISIS beheading innocent civilians, mass shooters in movie theaters and elementary schools, domestic abusers, and the list goes on. Just like Jonah, many of us are eager to declare that these people deserve to die, which is true.
However, in response to Jonah’s anger, God expressed that he had “concern for the great city of Nineveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who cannot tell their right hand from their left – and also many animals” (New International Version, Jonah 4:11). Even though they were fully guilty, he loved them dearly and forgave them. Likewise, as scandalous as it may seem, God cares about ISIS soldiers – even though I’m at the Air Force Academy and on track to become an officer in the armed forces, I would much rather see them receive God’s grace and mercy than a bullet. I also believe God is glad that he has extra time to change the heart of the Colorado movie theater shooter, who by the vote of one juror escaped the death penalty and received life without parole instead. Otherwise that man may have lost the last chance to know the One who wants to be his Father.
To those reading this, please understand that I am in no way absolving criminals of their responsibility or downplaying their evil actions. But also understand that Jesus gave his own life and suffered in a way that they deserve so that they would not have to.
I also deserve death, and so does everyone. God created us to love him and to love one another, but we’ve all failed miserably – whether we created the Holocaust or vented negativity about a friend on Twitter, “whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (New International Version, James 2:10).
But the beauty is that Jesus endured our punishment for us, which means that we are worth his pain. Your value increased with every piece of skin that the whip tore off his back, with every hole that the nails bored in his hands, and with every drop of blood that left his veins. You are worth everything to him, and he genuinely wants to know you and love you without any attached strings of manipulation.
We should therefore have the same attitude towards others, regardless of what they may have done to us. For the Les Misérables fans out there, you know from Jean Valjean that when he received mercy from the priest he stole from, he changed from being a criminal to one of the kindest, most selfless of men.
Likewise, when we believe in Jesus, he changes our identity from criminal to beloved child. And he offers that to anyone willing to receive it.
Works cited:
- James. New International Version. N.p.: Biblica, 2011. Print.
- Jonah. New International Version. N.p.: Biblica, 2011. Print.
- Schulz, Matthias. "The Worst Ways to Die: Torture Practices of the Ancient World - SPIEGEL ONLINE." Spiegel Online. Spiegel Online, 15 May 2009. Web. 18 Sept. 2016.
