Decades ago (in a time when corporal punishment was still permitted in all states), a public school teacher allowed the students in his class to set the rules. He explained that if there was to be order in his classroom, then there must be rules. “Class, what’s the punishment for tardiness, for talking out of turn, for disruptive behavior, for stealing, for fighting?” One by one, the punishments were set.
The students’ self-imposed rules worked well until one day, the kids came to their teacher and said “Sir, Jimmy stole Hank’s lunch and he’s eating it right now in the janitor’s closet!” The teacher and Hank headed off to the janitor’s closet to investigate. Sure enough. There was Jimmy, caught “red-handed” eating Hank’s lunch.
The teacher asked him, “Jimmy, do you remember what the punishment is in our class for stealing?”
The small, scrawny boy sheepishly answered, “Yes, sir. ‘Licks’ with the paddle.”
I’m sorry, Jimmy, but the rules have to be enforced. “Take off your coat, son.”
Jimmy didn’t move.
The teacher said it again, louder, more forcefully, “Jimmy, take off your coat.”
Still, Jimmy refused.
“Jimmy, don’t make this situation any worse. Take off your coat,” the Teacher said for the third time.
Jimmy complied. When he removed his coat, the Teacher and Hank quickly realized why Jimmy had been so reluctant: Jimmy had no shirt. Where a shirt ought to have been was nothing but pale, dirty skin and the protruding rib bones of a boy who was clearly malnourished. Jimmy had no belt to hold up up the oversized pants that practically swallowed him, only a couple of pieces of string to act as a make-shift set of suspenders.
The Teacher was visibly moved by Jimmy’s situation, but he swallowed hard and said, “I’m sorry Jimmy. I hate to do this, but if there’s going to be order in the classroom, a price has to be paid for your actions.”
He moved closer to the boy as he prepared to administer the punishment. But, as he was about to let fly with the paddle, an amazing thing happened.
Hank cried, “Stop!” The bigger boy should have been justifiably angry about having his lunch stolen. But he wasn’t. He could’ve viewed the smaller boy as an enemy. But he didn’t.
Moved with compassion, he turned to the Teacher and said, “Sir, I’ll take the licks. Paddle me.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” the Teacher replied.
“Yes sir. Positive.”
“Very well,” the Teacher stated, and with tears welling up in his eyes, he swiftly and surely paddled Hank.
As little Jimmy watched Hank absorb the blows meant for him, he realized that he had gotten much, much more than he bargained for when he stole Hank’s lunch that day. It wasn’t just his belly that was full. So was his heart. He had learned a valuable lesson in forgiveness and compassion.
Hank went home that day, having made a friend for life.
In Paul’s epistle to the Romans, he masterfully explains the depravity of man and the need for a savior and the grace of an awesome God who hates our sin, but loves the sinner. Case in point: Romans 5:8. “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Question: would you be willing to lay down your life for another human being? Sure, you might be willing to die for a friend or family member, but for an enemy? Are you kidding?
Did you know that in Romans 5, people without Christ are described as ungodly, sinners, and enemies of God? (verses 6, 8 & 10)
Because we had made ourselves God’s enemies, his love for us was not motivated by anything in us or by anything we can do for him. Just as Hank took the blows to pay the price for Jimmy’s transgression, Christ willingly took our place on the cross. He did it for us, his enemies. Unfathomable!
Like the school teacher, God is a just God who won’t tolerate sin, but we find that He is also a God of love and compassion, and because this love is unmerited and is not dependent on us, it ––like God––remains constant, unchanging! God’s love is the permanent possession of the former enemy turned friend, disciple and child of God.
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