10 Jun 2011, Posted by Isaac in nondescript, 2 Comments

Heinous

Through the movies, TV, internet or the ever-bringing-bad evening News, you’ve probably been forced to think about some of the worst criminals. The ones we call heinous. Their crimes are sick, severe, perverted, gross…unthinkable.

We are repulsed and angered. These people are human, but when we imagine their crimes; when we put ourselves at the scene of the crime or try to picture the brutality, terror and oppression they’ve incurred, we disassociate with them.  We call them and their crimes inhuman.

We demand justice.  Justice is required and justice should be served! It sounds like  Lock ‘em up! Death!

If we could, we’d hit them. Hard. And again…harder.

Justice is rightfully administrated to those who violate the law! A passionate pursuit of making it right, or dishing out punishment for what has happened is right!  It is full of right…

A question arises, however…have we looked with the same intensity and emotion into our own hearts?

Jesus was teaching and confounding people left and right.  He was saying that it is blessed to be poor, that we should love even our enemies and not just passively so, but actively by giving them more than they’ve taken!

And then he confronts the hollow claim that right actions justify the sinful heart.  He says, “So, you haven’t murdered anyone…But have you been hatefully angry inside your heart?  Have you ever, even for a second wished ill upon someone?  Have you held onto a hurt and allowed bitterness or judgement to fester on the inside? Than you too, although you haven’t killed a person are in danger, for your heart is black!”

It is the claim of the religious that they are better because they haven’t been heinous in action…even if only in fleeting thoughts.

As we, with emotion, with vigor and passion, judge and demand justice for the worst of people…shouldn’t we also (even prior to) judge our own hearts?

Who has satisfied that demand for justice?

Jesus. To him I look, not only wishing he will have mercy upon the heinous, but trusting his justice and mercy for my quiet, black heart.

“But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger…” – Jesus