Scott Pelley introduced the segment of Steve Hartman’s “On the Road” with these words: “Sometimes the best way to help someone who has fallen into a hole is not to throw him a rope, but to climb in.”

Hartman traveled to the County Courthouse of Fayetteville, North Carolina where Judge Lou Olivera held court.  He went to investigate an unusual decision that Judge Olivera made.

Joe Serna was arrested for drunk driving several years ago.  He was back in Olivera’s courtroom because he had violated his probation as evidenced by a drug test.  Judge Olivera declared that Serna must spend a night in jail for the offense.  As Serna entered the cell, he knew it was going to be a long night.  “When I walked into the jail cell and they closed the door behind me, I started feeling this anxiety.  It came back – a flashback.”

Serna is a retired Army Sergeant First Class who served three tours in Afghanistan.  He survived an IED (improvised explosive device) and a suicide bomb.  He was awarded two purple hearts for his service.  But, he suffers PTSD from his experiences, especially from one night in which he was riding in a truck with three other soldiers.  “We were following a creek and the road gave way… The vehicle went into the creek.”  “The truck started filling up with water?” Hartman asked.  “Yeah,” replied Serna.  “All hope was lost.”  Water came up to Serna’s chin.  He was the only one who made it out of the truck alive.  Serna says it still haunts him.  Now one of the fears he has is being in small cramped places, like in a jail cell.

Judge Olivera was aware of Joe’s experiences and struggles.  He decided to try to help.  “And so,” Hartman reports, “a few minutes after Joe was locked up, Judge Lou Olivera surprised the man he sent to jail by joining him for the entire night.”  “We ate meatloaf, and we talked about a lot of things,” said the judge.  “We talked about our families,” said a smiling Serna.  “And the walls got further apart?” Hartman inquired.  “The walls… they didn’t exist anymore.  He brought me back to North Carolina from being in a truck in Afghanistan.”

Appreciative of the judge’s display of compassion even as he “did his time,” Serna promised the judge that he would strive to make no more mess-ups.

When we were struggling and paying the price for our sins, Jesus, the Son of God who will one day be our Judge (Acts 17:30-31), came to us.  He came to us, not only to show the love and compassion of God, but also to save us.  He “gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4 NIV).  In order to save us from sin, Jesus had to die on the cross for our sins.  “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

God will save and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  In great gratitude for what He has done for us, our desire should be to “sin no more.”  But, we will “mess up” from time to time (1 John 1:6).  But the good news is that as we strive to walk in the light as He is in the light, He continues to cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:7-9).

“Commit the crime and do the time” is a principle of justice, even Divine justice.  But God loves us so much, that He paid the price for our sins.  Jesus died in our place, so that we might have forgiveness and eternal life.

Won’t YOU accept His offer on His terms?

-- David A. Sargent

* Information gleaned from “Judge spends night in jail with man he sentenced” in Steve Hartman’s On the Road, CBS News, which aired on April 29, 2016.

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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