[329 words]
A few weeks ago, my oldest daughter was hit from behind by another driver. No one was hurt, and the damage to the rear bumper appeared minimal. The insurance company instructed me to take the car in for a closer inspection and repair estimate. During that inspection, they discovered that the damage was more extensive than we thought. I got a letter a few days later that began with this line: “Your vehicle listed below is a total loss.” They went on to explain the reasons that they chose not to repair the vehicle. The very next day, a tow truck showed up at the house and hauled the car away.
A total loss. There’s not much that’s complicated in that phrase. It all came down to one decision—the cost to fix what was broken was more than the price they were willing to pay, so it was cheaper to declare it a total loss.
God could have easily looked at our lives and said, “The cost to fix what’s broken is not worth the price I’ll have to pay.” It wasn’t just a dent or a scratch caused by our sin, but a complete separation between man and his Creator; a severing of our relationship that required, not money, but the blood of his perfect Son to repair. What if our Father had decided we weren’t worth it? What if our Savior had been unwilling to pay with his own blood? What if we were simply beyond repair?
When Jesus wanted to communicate the value of one sinner to the Father, he told, not one parable, but three—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. Each parable drives home the same message, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10). One sinner, at extraordinary cost, and God says, “It’s worth it.” Our Savior says, “I’ll pay.” The redeemed say, “Praise God.”
Kevin Hahn
via Brown Trail church of Christ
Bedford, TX