Chances

I heard about a man who, on his deathbed at 80-some years old, spent four days in a vision of sorts. His family is at loss to explain but this outspoken agnostic, who had energetically rejected all talk of God all his life, spent days alone inside a prison cell with no way out.

The phrase echoed repeatedly: there is no way out.

Until at the end when a new word was heard: there IS a way out. He grabbed hold. The last two days of his life were spent in joyful celebration of a newfound relationship with the great Rescuer, who flung open the prison door of eternity. This man had rebuffed ideas of escape for a lifetime. In the last moment, God gave him yet another chance.

In Jesus’ last week on earth, he confronted the Pharisees many times and he also challenged Judas’ decision to betray him. Why? Not to prove them wrong.

He was giving them yet another chance to recognize God’s hand at work.

I often underestimate God’s grace. God offered escape to Cain before he murdered his brother. “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it. (Gen 4:7) Cain got yet another chance.

The prophet Jonah delivered an incredible message of redemption to heathen Nineveh. Jonah described God: I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. (Jonah 4:2) Nineveh got yet another chance.

Me? I can give up on people. How many times do they need to hear? When can I shake the dust off my feet and move on to more fertile ground? For some reason, seventy times seven keeps popping in my head.

Jesus came to seek and to save those who were lost. (Luke 19:10) When we truly see ourselves in the prison with no way out, when only our own breath breaks the silence, grace becomes precious. We grab hold with an iron grip. And we don’t give up on those who still have a chance left.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

Luke 4:18-19