“If
we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we
confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. If we
say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 1 John 1:8-10
I had the opportunity to take a couple of people out to
lunch a few weeks ago. We visited what
really is my favorite restaurant, and along with good food had great
conversation about evangelism and outreach at our church. The lunch came to an end, the server brought
the bill, and our conversation was nonstop. The conversation continued in the
car on the way back to the church. Great
lunch.
As I was winding my afternoon down, a reached into my
shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.
It puzzled me. But as I examined
it I was struck by what it was. It was
the bill from the restaurant.
That I didn’t pay.
So I packed things up, trogged out to my car, and drove
back to the restaurant. Sheepishly I
walked in and up to the cash register (which was in a separate bar area). Taped to the side of the register was a duplicate
of my bill. I looked around to see if
there was also a picture from a surveillance video of me in the cross hairs of
a target. There wasn’t.
I spoke to the woman who walked up to the cash register,
and explained and apologized for what I had done. She gave me sort of an awkward grin and said,
“It happens about once a week, and 90% of the people comeback to pay. That is why we had your bill taped to the
register.” I gratefully paid my fare,
found my server and handed to him personally a little larger tip than I
normally would have left. And profusely
apologized the whole time. The
restaurant folk handled it with grace.
Which reminds me to some extent of the grace we have in
Jesus Christ. “If we confess our sins…” John writes, “he is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
On a daily basis I know I owe all I have
to Jesus. It’s like a debt so large that I could never hope to dig up enough
money and run back to the eatery and pay it off. The news is nothing but good though. As much as I owe, I am reminded daily that
the debt has already been paid. On the
cross. By Jesus. The bill was taken to the cross with him and
was buried in the tomb.
I owe a debt. And is has been paid. In full.
So I can have life. In abundance.
I have been told that I can return to
the restaurant; I will be welcomed. And
there is one greater that welcomes me and has already counted the cost.
