I woke up the other morning before 4 AM, suddenly remembering that my car was parked out front. Illegally parked, I should say, considering the winter overnight parking restrictions on my street. I had left the car there after work with every intention of moving it to the lot behind my building later in the evening, but completely forgot.
Upon my early early morning remembrance, I threw on some clothes, pulled on my boots, and hurried outside, hoping the parking enforcer wasn’t patrolling our neighborhood that night. But he was, and the fact that my little red car was the only vehicle on the street made for easy pickings. There, poking up out of some freshly fallen snow on my hood, was a nice little “good morning” present from the City of Milwaukee. I cleaned off enough snow to pull the car around back, then opened the citation. Twenty bucks. Could have been worse. With my car safely deposited in my assigned spot, I paid my debt to society online, crawled into bed, and eventually fell asleep again.
Later that morning after I woke up for real, I was reading Colossians 2:13, where Paul says, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.” (emphasis mine).
I smiled when I read that, because the first transgression that popped into my head was my “crossing the line” the night before. Milwaukee said, “Don’t park.” I parked. I rightly deserved the ticket, however inadvertent my transgression, and I paid the price.
That somewhat goofy little lesson in justice and penalties caused the beauty of Christ’s work on my behalf to be all the more glorious in my eyes. I could never pay the infinite price for my sins, but his blood was payment enough to take care every single transgression, large and small, past, present, and future.
I am forgiven. Jesus paid it all.
Made for Eternity 