“Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of
Jesus our Lord.”
– 2 Peter 1:2
– 2 Peter 1:2
As he ran from the door, he pulled the
ski-mask off of his head and dropped it to the ground. He had left the scene with a satchel of large
denomination bills and two diamond banded watches. On the floor of the jewelry store lie
several customers and the owners, bound at their hands and feet. Sirens were blaring in the streets as he ran
away from the building. Suddenly two
police squad cars pulled onto the curb in front of him. He darted to his left into traffic, just
missing being hit by a truck as it’s horned screamed into the night air.
He turned down an alley between two buildings and hid behind a dumpster in the shadows. Red and blue lights strobed against the brick wall as he inhaled and tried to remain still. The lights faded and then the alley was black again. He stayed still and quiet. He asked himself, how long. How long should he stay here to be sure that they were truly gone.
“Thank you God. Thank you for helping me get away.”
What was that, he asked himself, as he turned to see a flashlight shining against the brick wall and coming his direction. He tucked in close to the dumpster trying to make himself invisible. They walked past the dumpster a few steps, he remained perfectly still until the two police officers were past him, then he jumped to his feet and ran. He heard them yell, “Stop or I’ll shoot.” But, he truly thought that they’d never do it, so he kept running.
His left thigh burned incredibly as he went to take another step, then he heard the shot echo through the alley. He fell to the ground in agonizing pain as the realization of what just happened raced through his mind. He knew that the bullet had torn through the flesh of his thigh and his race was over, regardless of how much he wanted to crawl away.
At the hospital they dressed his wound and gave him a shot for the pain. Then the police took him to the local precinct, booked him and locked him in the infirmary. They had caught him, red handed with nearly $200,000 and $40,000 in watches. His brief life of crime had come to an abrupt end that night, as the morphine kicked in and he fell asleep.
In the early morning they came by and gave him some yogurt, bread and coffee, with the warning that he would see the magistrate at 9AM. Is there anyone they could call on his behalf? He shook his head no, and rolled over. You see, he had no-one. He was a loner, orphaned at a young age, in and out of foster care, dropped out of school and was living in shelters and the local church mission most of his early adulthood. An hour later he heard his cell door unlock and the officer held out a pair of handcuffs and ankle-cuffs. After attaching them, he was escorted with a limp down the long corridor and into the courtroom.
He was seated at the table in front of the bench. There was an empty chair next to him at the table. The judge entered the chamber and the gavel fell to the wooden bench. The judge looked down from his bench and called the court to order. He looked at the suspect and then at the older man on the other side of the courtroom and said quite clearly, “Is this the man who stole from you last evening? “ The clerk looked across at the suspect and nodded his head. The judge looked at the police officer sitting in the chair near the side door. “What did you find as evidence of this crime?” The office laid the satchel of money and the two watches on the table as evidence.
Then the judge looked straight at the suspect. “Sir, did you take this money and watches from the jewelry store on main street last evening?” The suspect nodded his head to affirm the accusations, and quietly mouthed the words; “Yes, I did it.” and tears fell from his cheek to the table. At the tender age of 20 he knew this was it, he was headed to prison. The only question was for how long. As the judge raised the gavel, he questioned to the room. “Is there any to offer a defense as to why this man should not be sentenced for the crime in question?”
A man stood up from the gallery and walked forward past the table right up to the judge’s bench. As he past the table where the suspect sat, he paused and laid a keychain with a single vault box key on the table. Quiet conversation ensued between the judge and the older gentleman, until the man turned around and held his hands out wrists together. The judge motioned for the bailiff to secure the man and take him from the courtroom to the prison cell.
Then the judge looked at the suspect and addressed him directly, “You are free to go, Sir. The key before you will open a lock box at the bank on 5th Avenue, where you will find adequate documentation for insurance to cover your injuries and additional documentation detailing the inheritance, including several bank accounts, vehicles and a house in the sub-burbs; all of which has been granted to you by this gentlemen. Just then the door closed behind the older gentlemen as they took him away.
Grace – the free and unmerited favor given to one that does not deserve, but rather deserves the full wrath and punishment for their actions. God's loves us so much, His grace is overwhelming when you truly sit back and think about what we deserve as sinners in this life. We deserve the full punishment for our actions, but we are forgiven and set free while another takes on the punishment that we should have received. Such is the life of a Christian. Jesus Christ took on the pain and suffering that you and I so deserve for our actions. We are given freedom to enter into salvation and eternal life with God Almighty, by believing and acknowledging Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Don't take it for granted.
He turned down an alley between two buildings and hid behind a dumpster in the shadows. Red and blue lights strobed against the brick wall as he inhaled and tried to remain still. The lights faded and then the alley was black again. He stayed still and quiet. He asked himself, how long. How long should he stay here to be sure that they were truly gone.
“Thank you God. Thank you for helping me get away.”
What was that, he asked himself, as he turned to see a flashlight shining against the brick wall and coming his direction. He tucked in close to the dumpster trying to make himself invisible. They walked past the dumpster a few steps, he remained perfectly still until the two police officers were past him, then he jumped to his feet and ran. He heard them yell, “Stop or I’ll shoot.” But, he truly thought that they’d never do it, so he kept running.
His left thigh burned incredibly as he went to take another step, then he heard the shot echo through the alley. He fell to the ground in agonizing pain as the realization of what just happened raced through his mind. He knew that the bullet had torn through the flesh of his thigh and his race was over, regardless of how much he wanted to crawl away.
At the hospital they dressed his wound and gave him a shot for the pain. Then the police took him to the local precinct, booked him and locked him in the infirmary. They had caught him, red handed with nearly $200,000 and $40,000 in watches. His brief life of crime had come to an abrupt end that night, as the morphine kicked in and he fell asleep.
In the early morning they came by and gave him some yogurt, bread and coffee, with the warning that he would see the magistrate at 9AM. Is there anyone they could call on his behalf? He shook his head no, and rolled over. You see, he had no-one. He was a loner, orphaned at a young age, in and out of foster care, dropped out of school and was living in shelters and the local church mission most of his early adulthood. An hour later he heard his cell door unlock and the officer held out a pair of handcuffs and ankle-cuffs. After attaching them, he was escorted with a limp down the long corridor and into the courtroom.
He was seated at the table in front of the bench. There was an empty chair next to him at the table. The judge entered the chamber and the gavel fell to the wooden bench. The judge looked down from his bench and called the court to order. He looked at the suspect and then at the older man on the other side of the courtroom and said quite clearly, “Is this the man who stole from you last evening? “ The clerk looked across at the suspect and nodded his head. The judge looked at the police officer sitting in the chair near the side door. “What did you find as evidence of this crime?” The office laid the satchel of money and the two watches on the table as evidence.
Then the judge looked straight at the suspect. “Sir, did you take this money and watches from the jewelry store on main street last evening?” The suspect nodded his head to affirm the accusations, and quietly mouthed the words; “Yes, I did it.” and tears fell from his cheek to the table. At the tender age of 20 he knew this was it, he was headed to prison. The only question was for how long. As the judge raised the gavel, he questioned to the room. “Is there any to offer a defense as to why this man should not be sentenced for the crime in question?”
A man stood up from the gallery and walked forward past the table right up to the judge’s bench. As he past the table where the suspect sat, he paused and laid a keychain with a single vault box key on the table. Quiet conversation ensued between the judge and the older gentleman, until the man turned around and held his hands out wrists together. The judge motioned for the bailiff to secure the man and take him from the courtroom to the prison cell.
Then the judge looked at the suspect and addressed him directly, “You are free to go, Sir. The key before you will open a lock box at the bank on 5th Avenue, where you will find adequate documentation for insurance to cover your injuries and additional documentation detailing the inheritance, including several bank accounts, vehicles and a house in the sub-burbs; all of which has been granted to you by this gentlemen. Just then the door closed behind the older gentlemen as they took him away.
Grace – the free and unmerited favor given to one that does not deserve, but rather deserves the full wrath and punishment for their actions. God's loves us so much, His grace is overwhelming when you truly sit back and think about what we deserve as sinners in this life. We deserve the full punishment for our actions, but we are forgiven and set free while another takes on the punishment that we should have received. Such is the life of a Christian. Jesus Christ took on the pain and suffering that you and I so deserve for our actions. We are given freedom to enter into salvation and eternal life with God Almighty, by believing and acknowledging Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Don't take it for granted.
Be Blessed,
Rich
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