To Whom Much is Given, Much is Required

LadyEowyn wrote:If a man on the police force breaks a traffic law, why should he be held to higher standard and deserve a great punishment?

A police officer has been trained in what the laws are so that he may enforce them. He has authority to enforce them and is also an example to others as how the law is to be kept. A police officer has been given much authority and much good conduct will be required of him. So a police officer is held to account by two things especially, his extra knowledge of the law and his authority to enforce it.

On the last day judgment will not fall equally on all. Those who heard the gospel and were born into covenant homes will receive the strictest judgment. Those who heard the gospel will receive a stricter judgment than those who never heard it. All men have the law of God written on their hearts and so will be judged on that account but not as harshly as those who heard the law or were born into the covenant. The biblical proof comes from some of the parables of Jesus as well as his words against some of the Jewish cities; where He says that it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the last day than them.

But with things such as traffic laws, all people should have equal and fair judgement. Just as when the president breaks a law such as stealing something, he is not above the law and must be punished, but just because someone is in a high office doesn't mean he should be punished more. He should be punished according to the law with a punishment equal to his crime.

His crime is greater because of his office.
If I lie it is bad. However it is worse if I lie on the Sabbath. Committing a sin on the Sabbath is worse because you are profaning the Sabbath as well as doing that which is in it's self sinful.
A police officer is in that position to serve as an example to others and should know better. Yes, it's bad if I break the law and I deserve to be punished, but if one who studies the law and is looked to as an example to others, sins it is a greater offense.
Jesus spoke kindly to tax collectors and prostitutes, explaining to them the law and telling them to turn from their sin. However He had only scathing rebukes for the Jewish leaders of that day because it was they who taught the people the law and ought to know better.
If someone breaks the law but doesn't know he did he still broke the law and must be punished. However if he broke the law knowingly he deserves a harsher punishment because he ought to have known better.

Legolas Greenleaf wrote:His crime is greater because of his office.
If I lie it is bad. However it is worse if I lie on the Sabbath. Committing a sin on the Sabbath is worse because you are profaning the Sabbath as well as doing that which is in it's self sinful.
A police officer is in that position to serve as an example to others and should know better. Yes, it's bad if I break the law and I deserve to be punished, but if one who studies the law and is looked to as an example to others, sins it is a greater offense.
Jesus spoke kindly to tax collectors and prostitutes, explaining to them the law and telling them to turn from their sin. However He had only scathing rebukes for the Jewish leaders of that day because it was they who taught the people the law and ought to know better.
If someone breaks the law but doesn't know he did he still broke the law and must be punished. However if he broke the law knowingly he deserves a harsher punishment because he ought to have known better.

Great point with Jesus' interaction with different kinds of people! I'm not sure if sinning on the Sabbath is worse than sinning on another day . . . I have not thought too much about that. However, there is obviously degrees of judgment depending on what has been given. For scriptural support of this read Matthew 11:20-24.