Never celebrate evil
Scripture forbids us to celebrate the misfortune, downfall and calamities of people.
Exodus 23:2 warns us not to join others to do evil. Never should believers join people on social media, in their neighbourhood, workplace or anywhere to rejoice over the calamities and misfortunes that befall others. God hates such behavior and atititudes and will punish such. Such attitudes will incur God’s wrath
” Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.” (Prov. 24:17-18).
Do not speak evil (false or malicious statement) about people when bad things happen to them, especially if you do not know them well enough (Titus 3:2-4).
“He who would love life and see good days let him keep his mouth from evil.” (1 Peter 3:10, Psalm. 34:12 -13).
We are not to be judges with evil thoughts (James 2:4). When some things happen, people can become very judgmental, thinking and saying that person deserved what happened to them and speak ill of them. Not taking into consideration the fact that their relatives may be in a state of mourning, grief and pain, especially if there is a loss of life involved. We are not to add to the pain of those mourning. We are to mourn with them and seek to bring them comfort. The mere fact that calamities befall people should make us grief and be merciful, not judgemental.
Romans 12:15 says, “mourn with those that mourn .”
Sure, everything has consequences. We reap whatever we sow. But bad things can happen also because of human mistakes.
God’s word teaches that God will judge and punish the wicked if they do not repent. But we should also understand, that all bad things that happen are not necessarily acts of God’s judgement. Sometimes bad things happen as an act of God’s judgement, but it is not always the case.
Some people came to Jesus and told Him about some misfortune that behalf some people. He replied them, “ Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”(Luke 13: 4-5). In order words such calamity didn’t befall those people because they were worse sinners than anyone else. It wasn’t an act of judgement on them. It was just an accident.
Good things happen to wicked people too, and their descendants do prosper! (Psalm 73:3-17, Ps. 37:1, Job 21: 7-17, 12:6, Jer. 12:1). In this present world, good and bad things can happen to both good and wicked people.
God’s ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. He makes His sun and rain to shine and fall on both the just and the unjust (Isaiah 55:8, Matt. 5:45). We are not to play God. Human judgement is always immediate, but God is merciful, He gives the wicked time to repent before sending judgement.
Let’s be people who bring oil, soothing balms and medicines to those who mourn and are suffering. People with empathy and compassion, extension of Christ’s hands and compassion.
We are told in Matthew 5:7,
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.”
