Daily devotions: Seeking Justice - Acts 28

Acts 28:4         When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."

“Justice has not allowed him to live.”

Recently I wrote about the fate of Sakineh Ashtiani, the Iranian woman who was due to be stoned to death for adultery. Like many other bloggers, I expressed my anger at such a barbaric punishment being applied to a woman in the 21^st century. All over the world, there has been a public outcry and just last week hopes for clemency were raised when the Iranian government decided to not to stone her to death. The fact that this coincided with President Ahmadinejad’s visit and speech to the United Nations seemingly had nothing to do with it.

However, now that Ahmadinejad has returned to his own country, the Iranian Court has decided to hang Sakineh for murder. Here’s how the news was released:

“According to the court’s ruling, she is convicted of murder and her death sentence has priority over her punishment for committing adultery”, the Tehran Times reported, citing Mohseni-Ejei, Iran’s national prosecutor general.”

The fact that Sakineh was cleared of murder at a previous trial has no bearing on this tyrannical, oppressive, and misogynistic judgment. She has no right to appeal and the sentence, unless commuted, will be carried out soon. Her family and supporters have also been warned that if they continue to protest on her behalf, they will be treated as usurpers of the government and tried for treason. It seems that Iranian justice, for what it’s worth, will not allow her to live.

When the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the beautiful island of Malta, the natives thought that he was a murderer when he was bitten by a viper. They fully expected him to keel over and die. He may have escaped death from the shipwreck they thought, but justice would prevail and the snake would make sure that he got his just desserts. But when the poison didn’t take and Paul shook off the snake, they thought that he was a god. Paul would soon dispel that notion by using the opportunity to preach the gospel and give Christ the glory.

I don’t know if Sakineh Ashtiani will ultimately be given clemency and shown real justice. I doubt it, but it won’t stop me from praying for her and her family.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, we pray for Sakineh today and ask that You will support her in prison and give courage to her beleaguered family. We pray against those who would use their power and religion to oppress their people. We ask for Your Light and Gospel to illuminate those dark places of Iran, so that the people shall know the truth and at last be set free. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.

Daily devotions: Sakineh's Unjust Suffering

Acts 22:25       As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?" 

The Iranians flogged a woman 99 times last week in one of their horrific prisons. Sakineh Ashtiani has also been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. It is very likely that she will be executed soon.

Sakineh was lashed 99 times because a photograph of her appeared in a British daily newspaper. Her family was trying to make nations across the world aware of her predicament, in the hope that government leaders would advocate for clemency. Instead, the Iranians flogged her severely for allowing herself to be photographed without a veil over her face and with her hair outside of her headscarf. It turns out that the photograph was of another woman, but in order to make an example and to keep Iranian women totally submissive to Sharia law, Sakineh was still flogged.

This is one of the major reasons that I have no respect for Islam. This is the equivalent of the Salem witch trials that Christianity shamelessly prosecuted in 1692. Thankfully, we learned from those abhorrent mistakes and these days we try to be less judgmental. I pray that the Iranians will begin to see the error of their ways and that Sakineh’s life will be spared. Sadly, there’s a very small chance of that happening, but if mercy, compassion, and peace are truly important qualities of the Islamic faith, then surely some holy Muslim leader can intervene.

Prayer:                        Lord God, we pray for the plight of Sakineh Ashtiani. We all make mistakes and if we were ever to be judged by You without mercy, we would have no hope of being saved from Your wrath.

Lord, we also hate to see injustice in our world, especially religious injustice where men claim to be following Your ways and words. Be with Sakineh and her family throughout this harsh, cruel, and painful time. Release her from the hands of those who would brutally stone her to death. In Christ’s Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.