“Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”
Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)
Moses committed murder and was never brought to (human) “justice.” And Moses was still called by God after his crime to lead one of the greatest liberation/freedom movements the world has ever recorded.
King David set up a plan to ensure the death of one of his closest, beloved, and most faithful generals because he, David, had had an extramarital affair with the generals’ wife, even impregnating her. He did all that premeditated to cover his own arse from getting caught. And even after all that God called David the “apple of His eye.”
Jesus spent time in prison during his trial for sedition and was crucified between 2 thieves.
The Apostles served time in prison. John the Baptist was incarcerated. Joseph did time at a juvenile detention facility.
The Book of Acts is often celebrated for being the book that introduced us to the early Church and what the earliest followers of Jesus lived like BUT did you know it’s also the Book of the Bible that mentions the word prisoner more than any other Book in the Bible?
Though most ‘Christians’ and followers of Jesus take a “lock them up and throw away the key” mentality and also support capital punishment, it would do us well to reflect upon this truth: that God has used prisoners and criminals time and again to bring “salvation” and healing to various communities. And this God also mandates that we remember and care for the prisoner (saying nothing about doing so based on acceptable and unacceptable crimes).
God only states that when we visit the imprisoned we are visiting the Lord Jesus.
Not a sermon, just a challenging thought.
For more on this check out the Gospel of Matthew 25: 34-46 and www.captivefaith.org.
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