one of my favorite books is next door savior by max lucado. it takes stories from the Bible and relates them to today's issues, showing us just how real and relevant a relationship with Jesus Christ can be. it's one of the few books i have read more than once.
my favorite chapter tells a parable of sorts as a way of relating the significance of what Jesus did for us with His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection. mr. lucado will hopefully forgive me for paraphrasing his story, one that i have found to speak to me personally, and one that i make a point to reflect on each easter.
the story begins with a woman who is carrying a bag of trash. it's heavy, it stinks, and she is very burdened by the task of carrying it around with her. when she gets tired of carrying it, she sometimes sits down to rest, but this is as unbearable as walking with the heavy load, as resting causes her to reflect on all of the contents of her garbage bag. she often looks in the bag, disgusted with what things she has placed in the bag, ashamed that she has so much trash to carry around. she is not the only one, of course. there are others around her who also carry trash, others who are tired, burdened, and miserable.
as she is walking, she meets a man. he offers to carry her trash for her, to take her burden away. she resists, too ashamed to allow someone else to carry her bag. what if it's too heavy for him? what if he looks inside and sees the pieces of her life that she is so ashamed of? what would he think of her if he knew? as much as she wishes she could be rid of the trash, there is no way she can risk giving it to someone else to carry. the man walks with her awhile, promising that he is happy to carry it, promising that he doesn't care what's inside, trying to reassure her that he is more than capable of bearing her burden. but she continues to resist. he eventually leaves her, but he tells her that if she changes her mind, he will be at the landfill at the edge of town each day, and that she is welcome to bring her trash there for him to take from her. she is skeptical, but holds on to his words and reflects on them in the next few days.
after several days more of carrying her huge sack of garbage, the woman feels as if she can no longer bear it. she remembers the man and his offer to take her trash if she will bring it to the landfill. after much thought and consideration, she decides to see if he meant what he told her. when she gets near the landfill, she is shocked at what she sees. there is a long line of people with sacks as large as hers, all waiting to give them to the man she met on the street. the man himself is standing on a huge mound of garbage, and is taking each bag from each person and pouring all of the trash in the bag onto himself. once a person's garbage has been poured out, they are free to walk, unburdened, lighter than before, with no worries for a heavy pack on their backs.
because of the long line, the woman waits for several days to get to the man. she is worried that he might change his mind when he gets to her. she is a good person, she thinks, but there are just so many things she should've done differently. still she waits until it is her turn. when it is, she cautiously hands her full garbage bag to the man. as he did with all the others, he lifts her bag over his head and empties the garbag out onto himself, taking away her shame, her fear, and replacing it with a freedom she has never known. her garbage blends in with the rest. she can't even tell what was hers, since she gave it to the man. as she starts to walk away, she realizes that all the ones who went before her are still there. no one wants to leave. they are so comforted by this man, his willingness to take their burdens, his ability to love them despite the trash in their lives. they all stay until the last person gives over his trash.
and then something scary and strange happens. as the last man's trash pours out onto the man, the man cries out with a loud groan and collapses into the now enormous and all-consuming pile of garbage. the crowd doesn't know what to do. they don't understand. so they wait. the sky gets very black and two days pass, and still they wait. they just can't seem to leave. on the third day of waiting, an even more strange thing begins to happen. the sun breaks through the dark sky. the pile of garbage begins to move. and the man slowly rises up through all of the trash to end up standing. standing! victorious over all of the garbage in our lives.
i know not everyone who reads this will share my beliefs, but this is what i believe. i am not perfect. i am so far from being like Jesus. but i believe that He died for me, to take away my sin, my trash. and i believe that He rose from the grave and lives inside of me, giving me hope, assurance, and guidance in my daily life. sometimes i don't act like i believe this. sometimes i do things and say things that don't reflect the love i have in my heart for this wonderful Trashman. fortunately for me, He still waits at the landfill, every minute of every day. and He continues to take my trash from me, begging me not to pick it up again after he takes it. i am so thankful for His love and forgiveness, and for the sacrifice He made for me. the same sacrifice He made for you.
happy easter.
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