The NFL has decided that embattled Defensive Back Adam "Pacman" Jones can come back and play after being suspended for the past 16 months. The suspension was handed down after 10 separate run ins with the law. But he says he's learned for all the past mistakes and is ready to be a model representative of the NFL.
Object Lesson Time...
Adam Jones has, at best, been running in the wrong crowd. At worst, he's knowingly made and then repeated transgressions against his fellow man. But here's the kicker, so have you and I. But a God's radical grace covers our transgressions, and covers might be the wrong word. Our sins aren't just covered but wiped away...they no longer exist. If they were simply covered over a Holy God could not abide within us and a the Kingdom of God promised in Revelation, where God and his people could live together, couldn't happen.
Probably a bad example but... You and your buddy go camping. Do to an unfortunate series of circumstances he gets sprayed by a family of skunks. He bathes and changes clothes, but alas the smell remains. That's because that skunk smell can't be covered up by new clothes, deodorant and soap. The particles of skunk smell can't be covered...they have to be neutralized(thanks for the education on skunk smell Mythbusters). That's the deal with our sin. It can't be covered up it has to be neutralized. The sacrifice made at the cross is our tomato sauce, it has the right components to neutralize the sin.
Because we all have been sprayed by the sin skunk but have received the neutralizing effects of Jesus' blood through nothing we've done but simply by God's grace, we are in no position to look at anyone else in judgment. Instead we get this wonderful opportunity when someone like Adam Jones comes along. We get to share in the freeing feeling of complete forgiveness. There is an amazing joy and peace in it.
So, instead of waiting for the other shoe to drop on Pacman and scrutinizing every move, I'm going to cheer for the guy. I'm not only cheering for him on the field, to be fair...I'm a Cowboys fan, so that was, most likely, going to happen anyway. I'm going to cheer for a man who says he's made a change, and my prayer is that he would find more in living in the way of righteousness and not the shadows of worldly living.
And also a prayer of thanksgiving...because I don't smell like skunk, literally or in the spiritual since.
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”
Matthew 18:23-35 , NIV
