A FATHERS QUESTION

In November of 2000 an 18-year-old male disappeared. His family was left for weeks not knowing what had happened to their loved one. Unfortunately their worst fears were realized. His car was found here in Jonesboro. Later teenagers were charged with killing Ohmi Kwon. He had been beaten with a baseball bat, strangled with a belt and dumped in a well.

His father wanted to face his son’s killers and the families of those young men. He wanted to raise a question. "How can parents raise their children to kill somebody like this?"

Let me make some important points based on this father’s question.

First, children have the ability to make their own decisions. Judas was with Jesus for three years. He learned at the feet of the Master Teacher and yet he betrayed the Son of God. The parable of the Prodigal Son deals with two sons. One was openly rebellious and left his father’s household in order to live riotously, Luke 15:13. The other son did not leave his father’s house but was hard hearted and did not rejoice when his brother returned. Both son’s rebellion was due to their own free will and not their father. Good parents can have rotten children, and rotten parents can have good children. God knows those parents who have brought up their children in the nurture and admonitions of the Lord and those who have not, Ephesians 6:4.

Secondly, people rebel and do terrible things for various reasons. Usually they had learned to be self-centered. They do not love anybody but they feel as if everybody owes them whatever they want. In this case the victim had about $500. They may have learned this lesson from their parents and/or from others.

They took no thought about the morrow. We see people partying up and not thinking about the future. There is a line in a song that says we are to party like its 1999. Implying that we may not see 2000. This philosophy teaches us to not think about the consequences for our actions. Most likely the murderers of Ohmi Kwon never thought about going to jail. Living for today is taught in the Bible, Matthew 6:34. Yet live understanding that we will stand before God in judgment in the future, 2 Corinthians 5:10. There are always consequences and repercussions for our actions. Solomon warns the young to stay away from sinners. "My son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird; But they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners" (Proverbs 1:15-19).