A very popular series of detective novels presents an investigator with a very peculiar personality and a punk style. Through a series of flashbacks, we find out that she has had a very painful childhood—her father physically abused her mother. The girl finally decided to defend her mom by setting her dad on fire… She ends up in psychiatric treatment and learns to protect herself against perverted probation officers. She becomes a private eye and her style continues to be the same: those who commit unforgivable crimes, such as rape,  sexual and sadistic abuse are taken care of expeditiously, without compassion or hesitation.

Something inside the reader rejoices with these revenges that seem totally justified. Come to think of it, however, such revenge is exactly the maxim of “an eye for an eye” that the Lord warns us against.

But the offenders deserved every bit of it! Of course they did. A great majority of people in this society would feel satisfied about the retribution to the cruelty and perversion of these villains. But, isn’t Jesus precisely challenging our natural feelings and calling us to have the mind of God who does justice in his own time?