Murderer adopted

Wednesday 23 June 2021

Murderer adopted

See what love the Father has shown us so that we may be called children of God ! 1 John 3: 1

A terrible news item has just happened : Mr. Bonpère has lost his only son. A young delinquent attacked him savagely when he was defenseless. He stabbed her several times in the back.

We wonder about the reaction of this poor father, known both for his kindness, but also for his sense of justice.

Will he seek revenge himself ? He has significant resources and is very skilled in handling weapons. So he could take revenge on this young thug and give him back what he deserves.

Will he file a complaint for intentional homicide and wait for the police to find the killer ? He would then come to the bar of the court to claim, for the memory of his son, the maximum penalty provided for by law.

Will he not file a complaint, in a great gesture of generosity for this poor boy, whose difficult childhood and lack of family support will be established by the investigation ?

Will he, and it would be even more surprising, once his murderer has served his prison sentence, take care of his reintegration by providing him with the first resources, a job, and lodge him for some time in his prison ? clean house ?

But Mr. Bonpère did much more : not only did he not take revenge himself, not only did he not file a civil action, not only did he plead so movingly that the jury granted a discharge unexpectedly to this murderer, not only has he paid the bail for his release out of his pocket, not only has he taken in his son's killer in his own home, but has just adopted him as his own child.

Simple illustration, imaginary of course, of what the work of God represents for us, who adopted us for him through Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:5). Perhaps it will make us better understand of what love the Father - the Father of this Son whom we crucified - has testified to us, that we may be called children of God (1 John 3:1) !

Source (Pleasing the Lord)