- Jun 29, 2019
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Within the Verses of Matthew 25:31–46, Jesus says “When the Son of Man comes in his glory,” he will tell those who visited prisoners to in inherit God’s Kingdom prepared for them; he will tell those who did not visit prisoners that they will end up in “the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Commentators write that the “prisoners” Jesus refers to include the Saints working on Jesus’ behalf. In that respect, Jesus could just as well have been referring to anyone who’s worked toward God’s Righteousness though Jesus but who end up in prison for doing so. Seems that righteousness’ end could also cover those who, acting in the course of their pursuit of righteousness, find themselves unwittingly behind bars, falsely accused of crimes they didn’t commit or didn’t have a hand in. Of those, who knows if the real motive of the jailers is to imprison those who conduct their lives in the name of God, agreeing with those who resent them to hold them accountable for something?
The Bible seems to present us with an enigma. On the one hand, it tells us, both in the Old and New Testaments to be subservient to those under the authority of the government. Proverbs 24:21–22 says “My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?” 1 Peter 2:13–17 says “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
Romans 13:1 makes a blanket statement, saying in Romans 13:1, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” This presumes that all governing authorities come from God. If so, what are people doing in prison, who are purposefully being held in prison, and even slated for execution, for crimes they didn’t commit despite evidence being provided, albeit untimely sometimes, but nonetheless are slated for execution?
What did God have in mind for those people? some might say not to worry, since in all likelihood God will welcome them into His Kingdom. Or some might force an argument that a government who puts the wrongly accused and convicted behind bars is not a government at all. Perhaps they were looking at Daniel 2:21 -which says God “removes kings and sets up kings...” But until that happens, it seems we are left to presume that the existing government is there for our own good, though some who are behind bars may disagree. They may wonder, ‘What am I doing here? What in Providence has fated me to being here?’
Does God just shrug and leave it up to man to resolve the differences that can nip at each other’s heels? If so, seems that those who are really righteous would not allow those who are falsely accused and convicted to remain in prison. Does a righteous person not strive to do the will of the Father, in addition to saying ‘Lord, Lord’? Does a righteous person allow a wrongly convicted and condemned prisoner to remain in jail, even with the Ten Commandments sitting on the ground of the jailhouse? Does God really stand by while some in His Flock are thrown out with the bathwater?
The Bible seems to present us with an enigma. On the one hand, it tells us, both in the Old and New Testaments to be subservient to those under the authority of the government. Proverbs 24:21–22 says “My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not join with those who do otherwise, for disaster will arise suddenly from them, and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?” 1 Peter 2:13–17 says “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.”
Romans 13:1 makes a blanket statement, saying in Romans 13:1, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” This presumes that all governing authorities come from God. If so, what are people doing in prison, who are purposefully being held in prison, and even slated for execution, for crimes they didn’t commit despite evidence being provided, albeit untimely sometimes, but nonetheless are slated for execution?
What did God have in mind for those people? some might say not to worry, since in all likelihood God will welcome them into His Kingdom. Or some might force an argument that a government who puts the wrongly accused and convicted behind bars is not a government at all. Perhaps they were looking at Daniel 2:21 -which says God “removes kings and sets up kings...” But until that happens, it seems we are left to presume that the existing government is there for our own good, though some who are behind bars may disagree. They may wonder, ‘What am I doing here? What in Providence has fated me to being here?’
Does God just shrug and leave it up to man to resolve the differences that can nip at each other’s heels? If so, seems that those who are really righteous would not allow those who are falsely accused and convicted to remain in prison. Does a righteous person not strive to do the will of the Father, in addition to saying ‘Lord, Lord’? Does a righteous person allow a wrongly convicted and condemned prisoner to remain in jail, even with the Ten Commandments sitting on the ground of the jailhouse? Does God really stand by while some in His Flock are thrown out with the bathwater?
