The People Should Pay

​Our Great Granddaughter, Jaylee, spent the night last Saturday night. While football is not her thing, it was explained that the Arkansas/Texas football game would be the only action for all our Saturday evening. Close to the end of the game, Jaylee told Carolyn that she was getting tired, so Carolyn took Jaylee to the bedroom and laid down with her. They turned the TV on in the bedroom to finish the game. As most who watched the game saw, at the conclusion of the game, the fans swarmed the field in celebration with the football players. What a glorious sight to behold for most of us in our State.

    On the way to Church Sunday morning, I asked Jaylee if she saw the crowds of people jump over the rail and swarm the field after the game. I further went on to explain that the fans wanted to win this game so much that they wanted to be with the players to celebrate the victory when we won. But when they jumped the rail to get close, they also broke the law. I then told her that the Arkansas football program would have to pay a hefty price for the people swarming onto the field. Jaylee looked puzzled and then questioned “why didn’t the people have to pay?” I tried to explain that the people should but wouldn’t be held accountable. While the football program shouldn’t have to pay because the people messed up, they would be fined and must pay anyway. She then told me, “Well that’s not fair, the people should pay.”

    I told her that this is the way it is with God. Even though people mess up, God loved us so much that He sent Jesus to pay if we come to Him. John 3:16: For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but would have ever lasting life.

    Even with this her thoughts were “The people should pay”. I cannot disagree with her totally but am grateful that is not the promise that God gave each of us when He gave us Jesus. Now the truly great question remains. With such a gift, why can’t we all get so excited about the victory of winning God’s big game, that each Sunday we jump the rails to get closer to Him?

Bart Gray
Lay Servant JFUMC