SWORD OF THE SPIRIT                                                                                               1071

“Vengeance or Justice”

When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. (Proverbs 21:15)

In April 2011, convicted killer Michael Bargo, along with four co-conspirators, lured 15 year old Seath Jackson to a house where they beat, tortured and shot him and burned his body. He was dismembered and his remains were placed into paint buckets and dropped into a water-filled quarry. Michael Bargo was the ringleader and he was sentenced to death by a 10 – 2 Jury vote.

Six years later Michael Bargo was granted a resentencing hearing due to a Florida Supreme Court ruling that death sentences had to be by unanimous vote.

I spoke with a prospective juror for this trial who was not picked to be on the jury. They confessed about dealing with inner turmoil regarding whether they could vote to end someone’s life. The trial concluded with a unanimous vote by the jury for the death penalty.

This trial gave me pause for reflection as to how a born-again, Christian should deal with a death penalty sentencing hearing. God’s Word is clear that we are not to take revenge.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19)

To better understand this we need to first examine the difference between revenge and justice.

Revenge is all about retaliation. You hurt me and I will hurt you back. The motivational forces behind revenge are anger and rage and its goal is clearly to inflict harm.

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. (Psalm 37:8)

Justice however is about restoring balance. Justice remains objective and dispassionate. Justice takes no pleasure in disciplinary actions, even death, and as depicted in the imagery of Lady Justice it will not hesitate to use the sword to restore balance if necessary.

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. (Isaiah 1:17)

It is our civic duty to serve on a jury when called to do so. It is our Christian moral duty to do so prayerfully guided by the Holy Spirit with discernment and wisdom.