The ongoing furor over many of the pardons former President Bill Clinton granted
in the last hours of his administration is a study in the use and probable abuse
of legal pardons. The term pardon means “a release from the penalty of
an offense” and the Constitution of the United States gives its president
the right and power to grant pardons at his discretion.
The ongoing furor over many of the pardons former President Bill Clinton granted
in the last hours of his administration is a study in the use and probable abuse
of legal pardons. The term pardon means “a release from the penalty of
an offense” and the Constitution of the United States gives its president
the right and power to grant pardons at his discretion.
The power of pardon seems to most Americans the only time presidential power
is above the law. This singular power has been handled in most cases with the
respect and reserve it deserves. In a society run by laws, for one person to
have at his personal disposal the awesome power to set aside the penalty and
legal guilt of any lawbreaker is frightening. The framers of the Constitution,
nevertheless, believed it necessary.
The exercise of this power depends completely upon the President, and his values
that allow him to set aside the penalty of wrongdoing simply with the stroke
of a pen. The furor swirling around some of former President Clintons
pardons raise the very real possibility that a president can grant pardons out
of far less than noble motivations.
But the media attention to these pardons by the president can be a time of
reflection upon the pardon granted us by Jesus Christ. Seeing the presidential
pardons as something of a parable of Gods pardon is more of an opportunity
of comparisons and not trying to show only direct similarities. The presidents
pardons affect only the transgressions of the laws of this land; Gods
pardon affects sin, the transgressions of His law.
One of the most obvious similarities is that the president can grant pardons,
or withhold pardons, to anyone he chooses. He is totally autonomous in exercising
this power. The same is true with Gods pardon.
Presidential pardons seem to have a strong basis of “who you know.”
Access to the president to ask for a pardon generally comes through someone
who knows the president, or who knows someone in his innermost circle of advisors
and friends. Certainly, everyone does not have this real access. The obvious
comparison is that everyone has access to God and the only intermediary is his
son Jesus Christ. Before God, all people are equal. Money, status, community
standing do not help or hurt.
A presidential pardon costs the president nothing. He simply grants pardons.
Gods pardon of sinners cost him the suffering and death of his only begotten
son, Jesus Christ.
As cries arise that some people who received presidential pardons from Bill
Clinton do not deserve them, which one among us deserves the pardon of God?
There is not a sin dark enough to prohibit Gods pardon. While the world
certainly would declare us deserving of alienation and death, God extends His
pardon of sin.
Do presidential pardons change people? One would think that someone who receives
a pardon would be grateful enough to live a circumspect life to reflect well
on the person who granted the pardon. That is not always the case. This weeks
newspapers carry a story about a man who received a pardon from President Ronald
Reagan who is now charged with murdering and dismembering another person. If
we have been pardoned by God, surely that should be motivation enough to live
for him, and reflect well upon his goodness.
The thought of complete pardon is wonderful. There is not an inmate in a detention
center anywhere in this country who would not like to have the jailer bring
the message, “You have been pardoned from all your wrongdoing.” But
even more wonderful is the thought that God Himself would tell us, “Based
upon your faith in Jesus Christ, I hereby extend you a pardon for all your sin.”