Grace for More

One thing the Bible makes clear, and my experience backs up, is that evil is “less” – it is toothless, venom-less and defenseless. It is clearly less than good.

Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, and Pablo Escobar were all feared as being unstoppable evil. When the American military came knocking, Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of 9-11, tried to hide behind one of his wives. Then, there is Al Capone. He was the meanest gangster bully ever, but he spent several years in the fetal position in cell 181 on Alcatraz Island. He wept so much, the other inmates made fun of him. His tombstone reads, “My Jesus, Mercy.”

With ruthless murderers like Capone, we don’t want to think about their possible redemption. We don’t hope he found Jesus, and we’ll see him in Heaven. It’s natural, and I mean that word for what it is, that we want to see him punished and pay for the horrible evil he dealt others on earth.

However, no matter how evil someone has been during their life, the goodness of Jesus is greater! True power is the power to forgive and save. Evil can’t do that.

Here is an example from the book of Joshua. Waiting for the Lord’s instructions on how to take the evil city of Jericho, Joshua looks up and sees a mighty warrior with a sword standing in front of him. He asks the question we all want to ask and gets an answer none of us would expect.

Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “But as commander of the army of the Lord, I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for His servant?” – Joshua 5:13-14

Joshua asked a wise question: whose side are you on – good or evil? The reply Jesus gave dropped Joshua to his knees in worship: “Neither.”

You see, if the evil people of Jericho would have repented and asked for forgiveness, Jesus would have extended it and saved them. That’s the power of good over evil. It is a power each of us who are saved should be so grateful for; we should want to see it extended, even to the Al Capone’s of this world.