With great zeal, some young men standing around rushed around picking up or requesting from pure strangers, materials for the endeavour: old car tyres, fuel, any source of fire, etc. There’s a rush to enact justice by killing the thief who was caught stealing the incriminating items lying on the ground by him. My wife likely stopped such a killing some months ago.
I had just finished preaching a sermon where I spoke strongly about such deeds. She left the church on her way to visit our kids in boarding school and drove past a lynching in progess. She reversed the car, came out and pled long for the release of this thief of a bunch of plantains. In God’s mercy, he left with his life after a bloody beating.
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Judgment on Thieves
Thieves hurt people by taking what they own and sometimes inflicting harm on persons and property. The ones who hurt people and render them hopeless must surely deserve judgement of one form or the other due to the pain and misery they cause, right?
It is believed that jungle justice serves as certain justice for the apprehended criminal who may be easily released by law enforcement officials, a deterrent to other delinquents, and if a repeat offender, it may give an affected home or community some form of relief.
The question is: Should a person who stole to put food on their table be subject to such severe judgement?
Is it fair to be quick to pass judgement especially when you have never walked in the shoes of the very poor or properly assisted them?
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How to Execute Justice
Can I see the hands of anyone who has never stolen before in their lifetime? Does stealing biscuits, a cube of sugar (or a teaspoon), fish, count? What about the undergraduate who is inflating tuition or book prices? And the adult who defrauds the government or workplace once in a while? Some may think they are clean because they have been given everything they need or are rich. But that just makes you a worse thief when you steal, since it is not for a need, but for greed!
John 8:7 And as they continued to ask Him, He stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.”
What about mercy? Have you been shown mercy by God and even man before? Your current existence is a proof of God’s mercy.
Matthew 5:7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
So, what will it be? Jungle justice or mercy?