"Justice Delayed is Justice Denied"
Martin Luther King
When I heard this quote earlier this morning on a the Law and Crime real time court trial network, and after listening to the trial, I knew this would be my next message and I also knew exactly the direction I would go with it.
The appeal to the judge by the mother of a 17/yr daughter who was brutally murdered in 2010 but not found till 12 years later, was heart-wrenching with compassion wishing I could take her pain away. When I heard the mother's appeal to the judge and the victim's brother's pain that was more than he could handle and he expressed this over and over in front of the judge who was, surprisingly very compassionate and did not hold back this side of him.
Every family member or friend was given opportunity to speak from their hearts that might help to release some of the-decade-long-pain. The mother said with her time allotted time, "I am a Christian but I am going to leave forgiveness to God."
I found myself immersed in this trial, the judge, and how he listened ever-so-attentively to each one who poured out their heart before him. When this happens with me, there's usually something God is getting ready to show me, and He did just this. I did not feel the judge rushed any of the sobbing speakers in the least. The judge seemed to understand how horrific their loss was.
When the mother said at one point, "I am a Christian but I am going to leave forgiveness up to God," then objectively, explained from a Christians' point of view. She did this wisely with common sense born out of The Spirit of Law (never taking on the role in the courtroom of a theologian or bible teacher). Her articulate delivery in between tears in front of the judge, communicated to me a thoughtful non-vengeful heart and mind. I felt it was intended to cause the judge to feel what she and everyone else who knows this void in their lives, was feeling.
King David said: "In my distress, I cried out to God He heard me ( Ps. 120:1 )."
All these broken hearts had their turn to look the judge in his eyes and spill out what this pain has been like for the past 12 years, but the trial only now taking place in 2023, and while the killer was in the courtroom as well. She expounded with, "In my heart I find it very hard to forgive someone who has shown no remorse, no compassion, who has committed the unspeakable." This friend/killer was found guilty of tampering with her daughter's dead body, sexual assault and more, and left her body in the woods for the animals to tear apart.
The part that was hardest for the mother and family to grasp was that, the perpetrator knew all those years where she was. Not once did he even make an anonymous call to the police to point them to where she could be found, not once she emphasized. How many sleepless nights, depression, and more did these victims of such loss endure and needlessly, when all he had to do was point the police as to where to find her. He allowed investigators, family, and friends to vigilantly continue their search for her for all those years.
Early on and upon finding out that her daughter was missing, the mother went to killer's door asking if he had seen her daughter, only for him to slam the door in her face. Years later she'd learn her daughter's friend, was also her calloused, brutal, and cold-blooded killer.
Fast forwarding, the judge was permitted by law to give a maximum sentence of no more than 4/yrs in prison (this, in the state of Kentucky) while the mother and other family members begged the judge to give the max hoping for more something like the death sentence, but they were in the wrong state for this. Then he said, "although 4 years is the maximum by law he deserves far more than this but I don't make the laws I just enforce them." This judge knew, and just listening to him as he was about to give the sentence, that justice was not found in this state law. This maximum was not The Justice and The Judgment of God for this man who was already on parole at the time he also took the lives of all those who loved her and leaving much sadness for the entire community.
If it were not for this real time court trial I watched on the Law and Crime network concerning Page who is the focus of, "The Teen Mom Mystery Death," I would have missed the brother's salvation message and open courtroom prayer for the killer. For Mr. Johnson the brother, he said he has forgiven this unremorseful, cold blooded, bound for hell monster for his sister's death. But he lets it be known loud and clear as he says, "My own life has been taken from me and has never been the same." He talks about how for such a long time, he hated the person who did this to his sister. Then he said, "I now pray for people like this who treated his sister like a piece of trash to be thrown away."
While also stating this savage calloused murderer did not deserve Grace or Mercy he felt God wanted to extend His Grace through him, and while standing before the judge and with this killer sitting in the court room behind him, this evangelist son did not hold back while looking straight ahead at the judge. He said, he prays and hopes that someday this person will repent and realize his need for Jesus Christ as His Savior. And again he expressed, "I hope he mans up and apologizes to his family and that he would humble himself before the Lord once and for all."
It was obvious Mr. Johnson, Page's brother, was holding back uncontrollable sobbing as we heard with his voice. He did make it a point for this really really bad person to hear that God does forgive even the worst of sinners with heartfelt remorse and life changing repentance. He emphasized, he can still be saved if he's ever remorseful before it's too late.
At the end of his speech he read from 1Samual 2:1-10:
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves
out for bread, but those who were hungry
have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
and on them he has set the world.
9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
And when he finished reading the judge said: "Thank you for that, I really appreciate it."
With all the corrupt judges we hear about that are serving the devil today in politics, it so refreshed my soul that God let me hear and see at least one judge after His Own Heart is still active and doing right as the righteous do, as much as possible. I looked at the judges face as the trial progressed, and that he involved himself emotionally and mentally in these lives, never letting a distraction ever turn his eyes away from them for one minute, showed me this judge and those like him, are useful to God today more than they probably. He and those like him, are a shelter of hope and peace, a strong tower for the righteous and innocent who may need him one day.
Law and Crime is one of the few channels for crime I subscribe to, for I love to see how God works in real life court trials and for some reason or other, I have never seen a judge that leaned far left or even close to it on this channel. I think this network prides itself with the cream of the crop judges. It's simply a quality of law and crime that shows the justice and judgment of God when all is said and done.
The judge acknowledge while getting ready to give the sentence, that the probability of the accused to offend again is great, so parole was not going to be an option, especially since he did what he did while on parole. He acknowledged that the accused has been indifferent with a lack of compassion. He acknowledged how accused was the last person seen with the 17/yr old and when the mother went to his house and knocked on his door looking for her daughter, he slammed the door in her face.
At closing and while the judge was giving his summery of the trial he said, "Everyone now knows the truth, knows what you did, and I am going to impose the maximum sentence of prison time." Some love gospel preacher would love to come behind this and say, but God said to love ! Aren't we supposed to love one another? And yes, I know a few just like this, however, they might think twice if it were a judge doing the right thing even though it's not their right thing.
The judge reiterated what he said earlier: "Justice delayed is justice denied." Then he said, "therefore I will not delay justice any longer."
"Love is patient and love is kind" but.... it also "does not delight in evil and rejoices in the truth."
The judge, friends and family did just this, they did not delight in evil and rejoiced that The Truth and a maximum sentence found a bold period after it.
1Cor. 13:6,
......................
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Matt. 5:43-48
* Interestingly, none of those mentioned here are hard core criminals, non-remorseful for far more than a day only, unrepentant and would kill again as the judge pegged it. The judge said, if he were given only rehabilitation then was let out sooner than he should have been, he'd kill again.
* "The Lord preserves all who love Him, but the wicked he will destroy - Ps. 145:20 * "The Lord tests the righteous HATES the wicked and the one who loves violence.
* But you say, I believe God is Love. Let me say, He IS Love but that love consumes him to bless his creation, His Righteous Ones who live to obey and have a relationship with Him, for which He cannot do as long as sin, pride, and idolatry of every kind, thrives with no remorse and self-serving pride.
* We read: "God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble"
(James 4:6).
* God singles out those he will not tolerate nor offer mercy, to be the blasphemous deeds of idolaters, sexual immorality, injustice, pride and more Rev. 2:6.
..........................
Was this killer their brother as referred to in the following verse ? He is not. So how do you treat someone like this killer? For a felon or someone committing crimes, all the laws that apply to a normal non-violent situation, do not apply to these
Jesus said: "Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him."
* God will go to extremes and expects us as His Ambassadors of Christ, to do the same for that truly repentant heart. Most likely it wasn't the same sin seven times, but we are not told. 17:3-5
................
"But the wicked are like the tossing sea;
for it cannot be quiet,and its waters toss up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”
Isa. 57:20-21
No comments:
Post a Comment