The Debt
- Eve M. Harrell
- May 13, 2015
- 3 min read
Imagine for a moment You owe a great debt.
In your youth you are taught that to repay this debt you have to climb a mountain every day and drop your money into the bucket held by the banker. Now you are young so no big deal.
As you get to the top of the mountain you notice lots of people having a party, happy to have met their responsibility. The banker stands there in his neat black suit and says "Great job" while he pats you on The back ... Feeling so good about yourself you join the party. During the party you feel a hand on your shoulder, someone is trying to draw you into conversation... You want to hear what he has to say but the crowd noise is deafening and well everyone is having such a great time...
You'll find the man later...
A couple of years go by and you realize that the path up the mountain is getting rocky, thistly and the people at the top don't seem quite as lively as they once were... The banker, you notice, his smile looks more like a smirk as he takes your money and says "it's not enough". you've made some friends and they offer to loan you your share temporarily... This makes you happy so you pay the debt and join in the party... Once again you hear a whisper, annoyance sets in as you ignore the voice and continue in the celebration...
After a few more years the road becomes quite treacherous as you begin to trip and fall coming very close to the edge of the mountain. Someone reaches you and lifts you up effortlessly. Looking around to see who your rescuer was you are met with a lonely clearing, listening you think you hear a familiar voice but shake it away. Continuing on your way you make it to the top and begin to notice that everyone looks quite ragged while the banker says more money please...
You stop and looking down you notice something strange as you peer into the bucket... The bucket is empty... The banker says "More money please... this is what you signed up for."
As you dig into empty pockets you look around and all of a sudden everyone is ignoring you, fear begins to set in. How am I going to repay this debt? All of a sudden you feel a warm hand on your arm and you hear the words "The debt is paid... IN FULL" you look up into the most loving eyes you have ever seen and all of a sudden everything around you is beautiful, peaceful as you recognize a familiar voice. Your eyes look on Him questioningly as He says "My child I have watched you climb this mountain every year, I know the road has been hard but you do not have to travel this road anymore... I have walked this road for you." With tears streaming down your face you ask "But why?"
In His quiet voice He says "I love you so very much."
You look into His loving eyes and you ask "Are you the One who has tried to get my attention all of these years?" He says "None of that matters my child." Panicked you begin to wonder "But what do I have to do to repay you?" And placing his hand on your shoulder he looks at you tenderly and says "I created you for a relationship with me. You owe me nothing. It is however, a choice. You can choose to walk with Me or you can choose to climb the mountain but know that the mountain is treacherous. Nothing is as it appears." As you look around you notice the darkness all around is being replaced with a bright light.... You feel the heaviness in your chest begin to lift and the fear begins to dissipate...
You know the answer as You place your hand in his.
Jesus paid a steep price for us. A price that we could never repay on our own. While the world continues to seek payment from us in many different ways, our Savior only says "I love you and want a relationship with you, follow Me, walk with Me, rest in Me and you will know life to the full, eternity with Me..."
Do you know Jesus?
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16