He reaches down Conclusion

Dad was not pleased. His face grew dark with anger, but he held back his wrath long enough to say, ‘Come with me and show me where it fell into the hole.’ So off they went, father and son, and soon came to the hole. Peering down, they could see nothing at all, so dark was it in the depths of the horrid, smelly dirt.

Then Albert’s Dad stood up straight, looked at his son, and began to roll up the sleeves of his shirt. ‘Oh dear,’ thought the lad, ‘this is when I catch it good and proper!’ But it was not to be, for a moment later his Dad was down on his knees again and reaching his hand and arm deep into the drain-hole. A few moments later, and after some groping around to the accompaniment of horrid, squelching sounds, up came Dad’s arm. It was covered in slime, but there in his grimy fingers was the lost coin! Dad wiped it clean and said, ‘Well, the king’s image is still there for all to see.’ ‘Hurray!’ yelled Albert.

‘That’s enough of that,’ he was told. ‘Here, take the coin and go on to the shop as you were supposed to do. You’ve been rescued, so don’t mess up again please. I’ll see you at home in twenty minutes, no later!’ Off ran Albert, scarcely believing what had happened. His Dad was great! Before long he was heading for home, clutching a bag that held bread, sugar, tea and milk. And he even had a few copper coins of change to give back to his Mum and Dad. ‘My Dad’s great,’ he muttered again to himself as he opened the front door and went in.

Well, you have heard all about it! We know that the story is true because Albert is Shaw’s Dad, our John’s Grandpa (Major Albert Clifton who lives in retirement in Somerset in England) and Albert’s Dad was Shaw’s Grandpa, John’s Great-Grandpa (who was the Corps Sergeant-Major of the Goole Town Corps in Yorkshire, England).

The story is a clear illustration of what God has done for us in Jesus. He has reached right down into our grimy world, into all the sin and shame and sorrow, to lift us up so that his image might be restored to us. What amazing love! Charles Wesley wrote:

Amazing love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, should’st die for me?

He left his Father’s throne above,

So free, so infinite his grace,

Emptied himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race.

Those words, inspired by Philippians 2, warm our hearts today.

I have been travelling a lot this week and heard on the car radio (590 am, WEZE) an interview with a man called Jeff, from the ‘Denver Nuggets’! He was involved in an aeroplane crash, but freed himself from the wreckage. He then rushed  back into the burning mass in response to the cries of a baby, reckless as to his own safety. The baby was saved. Later on he grew deeply depressed because his best friend, Jay, was killed in the crash, but his wife told him, ‘I get my strength from the Lord.’ Gradually, in desperation, he turned to Christ. The interviewer said, ‘Our Saviour rescued us, just as you saved that baby. He did not think of his own suffering, but only of saving us. He reached right down into our sin and despair and paid the price for saving us.’

We cannot begin to assess that price, or even imagine it. I was a small child when I was first aware of the great love Jesus had for me, but I will still never fully comprehend it, forty-something years later.

Sometimes we can be in the middle of a routine task when the enormity of Christ’s work of grace overwhelms us. I was writing Christmas cards, and one was to a young man called Richard. He was once more attending church because of the life and witness of another friend, Clarence. Clarence had been paralysed in a road accident. My husband asked, ‘Would you be willing then to lose your mobility to save someone’s soul?’ I felt sure I would be willing if it were for a member of my family. I was not sure about my friends, and even less sure about my enemies! I feel very small and weak when I think of these things. My love is so insignificant compared with the love of Christ (Romans 5: ‘while we were yet sinners…’).

Divine love is available to us all. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5). We gather on Sundays to receive the Lord afresh for the week ahead. He reaches down, as we reach up. Let your hand meet his hand now.

Commissioner Helen Clifton (PTG)