The Parable of the Dirty Truck

My grandmother was visiting us for Thanksgiving this year. Being a native of New Jersey, Grandma has always had a "tell-it-like-it-is", "no-holds-barred" way of communicating. Well, we decided to take Grandma out for a special lunch one day while she was here. When we picked her up from my parents' house she commented on how dirty our truck was, "You should wash your truck. It's filthy." I casually shrugged it off by responding, "Grandma, if we wash it, it's just going to get dirty again." And we went happily on our way.

(To protect the innocent, this isn't really my truck; photo courtesy of PhotoBucket)

I thought about my response later that day. I know Grandma was probably right in that it's important to take care of the things God has blessed us with. But beyond her comment, looking at my defense, it made me think how fortunate we all are that Jesus didn't respond in the same way. I mean, can you imagine God planning the redemption of all mankind by asking His one and only Son to lay down His blameless life to cleanse the world of our transgressions. Picture the desperation we would all be in if Jesus simply responded, "But Dad, they're just going to get dirty again."

DON'T PANIC! That's not the way it went down. In Romans 5:8 we read that "... God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." So while we were still "dirty", Jesus laid down His life for us so that we could be "clean" and reconciled to God. And notice the present tense: "demonstrates". This confirms that Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross paid the price for past sin, present sin, and even for the sins we're going to commit in the future so long as we have a penitent heart. As hard as we might try, God knew we were going to get dirty again ... and again ... and again.

That's why He sent us His Son. In Ephesians 1:7 Paul writes, "In [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." Let's prayerfully thank Jesus Christ for giving us hope and for paying the ultimate price, once and for all, so that we may be clean with God.

Stay the course, finish the race ... AB