There was a lot of interest on talk-back radio last week generated by the extensive sentence given to the young man who was convicted over the gang-rape of a number of girls. Most callers expressed a sense of relief that the court had (at last) handed down a sentence that was commensurate with the serious nature of the crime. Several lawyers, however, suggested that the sentence was too harsh in the light of much lighter sentences given to those convicted of murder. Some made further observation that the sentence left no room for rehabilitation.

There has been, for some time, a groundswell of feelings in the community that serious offenders, such as murderers and rapists, were being treated far too leniently. Victims, or families of victims felt a sense of outrage that they were paying a price far greater than those responsible for their suffering.

The concept that the punishment should fit the crime seems to be deeply embedded in the human psyche. It relates to that sense of "fairness" that is found in even the youngest of children in virtually every culture. Anyone who feels themselves wronged in some way has a natural longing to see the perpetrator brought to justice.

However, the exercise of justice is seldom as straightforward as most of us would wish. The story of King Solomon's judgment over the warring prostitutes is a classic example (1 Kings 3:16-28). For several decades the emphasis of public sentiment moved away from the focus on punishment to the importance of correction and rehabilitation of the offender. In fact, the Department of Justice became the "Department of Correctional Services". However, the pendulum of public feeling is now swinging the other way, and the cry for justice, with appropriate punitive sentences, is getting louder and louder.

It is interesting to note that, while this is happening in our community at large, there is still a strong resistance to any idea that judgment and punishment might be associated with God. Most people react strongly against any suggestion that they might be called to account by God for the life they are living now. The idea that there are absolute standards of morality by which we must live is totally foreign to the post-modern world view.

I was fascinated to find on the shelf of a book store a three volume series entitled "Conversations With God". The theme of this trilogy was the text of a series of conversations that the writer claimed to have had with God. I only had a few minutes to spare, and so was only able to skim through the first volume. Most of what I saw seemed to be consistent with traditional Christian belief, and reflected various parts of the Bible. However, I came across the statement towards the end of the book, attributed to "God", that there is no such thing as a Judgment.

It so happened that the daily Scripture Union Bible Readings were taking me through that part of Matthew's Gospel where Jesus speaks very strongly about a coming judgment. In Matthew 13:38-43 Jesus explains his earlier parable of weeds sown in a field of wheat. He says that the good seed stands for the "sons of the kingdom", the weeds are the "sons of the evil one". He says that "as the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, and they will weed out of His kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Judgment may not be a popular idea, but it is absolutely essential if justice is to have any meaning. And the God of Scripture is revealed throughout as being characterised by Justice and Truth. There is absolutely no doubt, based on the consistent message of God's Word, and the clear teaching of Jesus himself, that we all must stand before the judgement seat of God.

However, we do not need to fear this. Not because we are innocent, for none of us are, but because God himself has suffered our punishment for us. Judgment is certain, but so too is the glory that awaits those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ our Saviour.

John Davies
18 August 2002