Remember when and how we vexed one another as children at the possibility of receiving punishment?
Oh! You’re going to get it now! We would pronounce the punishment with jubilation and the banter of a celebratory parade.
Ha, ha, ha! Wait and see; you’re going to get a good whipping!
What glee and joy can be found in someone’s pain or unfortunate predicament?
Sometimes, even as adults, people revel in others’ punishments for their errors and wrongdoings.
Remember these comments: they ought to be placed under the jail! The electric chair is too good for them! And there are many other comments.
Whether as a child or an adult, such glee for someone else’s punishment is unkind and without compassion.
Many think evil doers do not deserve compassion.
As a parent, I took no pleasure in disciplining my children but did it for the sake of correction, instruction, and encouragement to do better.
While many people find amusement and happiness in the fact that the misguided are punished, the Bible says God, our Father, takes no pleasure in punishing or in the death of the wicked.
Often, many people want mercy for themselves but pray or demand justice or punishment for others.
God told Ezekiel in 33:11 to tell Israel (KJV), “’ Say unto them, as I live…I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways: for why will ye die?’”
There are consequences for sin and disobedience to God’s word. These consequences are exacted for us to reflect on our sins, repent, ask for forgiveness, and restore our relationship with God, our Father.
Fear of punishment and the desire to maintain a good relationship with God encourage us to obey and do the right thing.
Parents discipline their children in love just as God chastises those he loves.
Can we dismiss the necessity for discipline or consequences for bad behavior?
Unlike the uncompassionate way of wishing pain and retribution for others, God is loving, merciful, long-suffering, and just. God wants evil doers to seek him for forgiveness and a spirit of love to avoid the punishment of death.
Christians are called to pray for those who trespass against them and others rather than judge them.
Let us not deceive ourselves; God reminds us that as others are judged, their judges will be judged.
What can Christians do?
We can pray that God’s long-suffering and goodness will lead evildoers to repentance.
God patiently awaits our repentance, but no one escapes their just consequences, which are exacted within God’s time, not ours.
God’s delight is life, not death. He wants sinners to repent, not perish.
We all sin and disappoint God, our Father.
It is common for movies to portray crowds cheering and egging on the death of the bad guy, and even the innocent ones.
I think about the death of slaves who were hanged, burned, shot, and whipped, surrounded by a cheering crowd who had no compassion.
Celebrating repentance is better than celebrating death.
The Bible says there is a great and grand celebration in heaven when even one lost sinner repents and turns to God.
We pray that those who do evil things will turn from their wicked ways, repent, and choose God
and his love, not death.
I hope you are happy and well.