When was the last time you wished someone would get exactly what they deserve? All of us can think of a situation where someone wronged us or someone else. When that happens, it’s pretty natural to hope they get caught…if only to make sure they don’t do it again.
- Have you ever gotten caught right after you did something you knew was wrong? What did you learn by that experience? (Answers may vary.)
- Have you ever known someone who always seems to get away with things? Without naming any names, tell how that makes you feel. (Encourage students to discuss, but be careful to avoid gossip or oversharing.)
When people do things that are wrong or harmful, it can sometimes take a long time before they get payback. Other times, though, it happens right away! It can feel pretty satisfying to see this so-called “instant justice.” In the video we’re about to watch, a reckless driver goes far beyond the speed limit—and receives the consequences for that choice.
Play the following video for your students [2:21]:
Teen gets pulled over for speeding over 130 Miles Per Hour!
Ask a volunteer to recount what happened to the driver (a police officer ticketed the young driver for speeding; the officer called the teen’s parents; he expressed concern for the teen’s safety beyond issuing a speeding citation).
- How did it feel to see this young driver get “instant justice” for his selfish speeding? (Answers may vary; encourage discussion. Most students will acknowledge it was good for the teen to be pulled over and receive a citation before any harm could come to him.)
- Have you ever had a chance to try and administer your own “instant justice” and get back at someone for something they did to you? What choice did you make? (Accept all reasonable answers; be prepared to share your own experiences.)
It’s easy to feel a sense of justice when someone making a bad decision gets caught. But when someone has wronged us personally, we can sometimes get too carried away with trying to get back at them. Our lesson today is about someone who had an opportunity to take justice into his own hands in an instance like that. Let’s see what happened.
