2.18-The consequences of murder and suicide

2.18-

When you are born in America and live in a community of a predominance of people who are “Christians” you are a part of certain culture.  That includes belief and hope that after death there is justice mixed with mercy and reunions with those who have gone on before.  This belief actually has important consequences for a community.

I was moved by the report that the killer in the Las Vegas shooting had no drugs or alcohol in his system and showed no mental deterioration in his brain.  His choice to kill all these people was the result of the evil one tempting him and his chosing to destroy all these lives and then kill himself.  If there is no God and no judgement beyond this life some would see this and say he “got by with it.”  Everyone is in the same position on the other side.  Dead in the grave.  No eternal justice of any kind.

Christians on the other hand believe there is life after death and there are eternal consequences of our choices.  There is a God of mercy who stands for justice in this life and the next.

I am concerned that in our country for many years we have not taught our youth that there is any consequences to our choices beyond this life.  I fear this causes depression, destruction of life and additional homicides and suicides.  We lost five policemen this past week and in many of these cases people also take their own lives.  Beliefs have consequences.

Mark 16.

¹² After that, He appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking along on their way to the country. ¹³ They went away and reported it to the others, but they did not believe them either.

Luke 24.

¹³ And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was ^[d]about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began traveling with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. ¹⁷ And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You ^[e]the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” ¹⁹ And He said to them, “What things?” And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, ²⁰ and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. ²¹ But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. ²² But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” ²⁵ And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary for the ^[f]Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning ^[g]with Moses and ^[h]with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.
²⁸ And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day ^[i]is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. ³⁰ When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from ^[j]their sight. ³² They said to one another, “^[k]Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was ^[l]explaining the Scriptures to us?” ³³ And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them, ³⁴ saying, “The Lord has really risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵ They began to relate ^[m]their experiences on the road and how He was recognized by them in the breaking of the bread.

Larry Wishard