“Put me in jail, put me in jail,” our six year-old grandson shouted. “Put me in jail, Gramma,”
The boy’s scooters whizzed by, daring me to move out of the way, challenging me to capture little law-breakers with their laughing taunts and haul them into garage jail. They were doing just great whizzing by until the idea spawned for a sheriff and a policeman.
My husband got nominated first to be the man in blue, as he was appropriately attired. But he nominated me sheriff. Thank you dear.
Judge and final authority of all scooter violations, I defined, declared traffic violations, and held the keys to the jail.
“Did you see me? Did you see me Grandma Sheriff,” my grandson yelled. “I went faster than the speed limit. Catch me!”
Before law had been instigated, the boys had fun flying by too fast, like a game of chicken, and barely missing one another. However, as we the grown-ups saw impending disaster, it constituted setting rules.
But the minute Grand-law-enforcement arrived on the scene, rather than providing the order we’d hoped to achieve, mayhem resulted. Boundaries shattered. Being caught and being found guilty turned into an undeniable challenge, an inviting ambition.
Law breaking became the goal.
Our designated road lanes took on life like a zig-zagging snake. One-ways were especially onerous. And the stop sign the boys themselves made, they gleefully ignored.
The entire scooter runway begged a chaotic disaster, an envisioned trip to the ER waiting to happen.
We, the policeman and sheriff, quickly realized another problem. Jail held no bars. They wanted in simply to sneak out.
“We’ve lost control,” I whined to the policeman on duty.
“I think we are teaching them the wrong thing,” Phil said.
It was like trying to herd a bunch of bouncy balls all going different directions. For those three little boys the entire objective changed. It became catch-me-if-you-can-so-I-can-get-into-jail-to-sneak-out-of-jail.
I soon recognized us, all of us, in their actions. Why are we like this? Why do we so often find ourselves rebels to what God intends for our good?
The Apostle Paul, a law-abiding Pharisee dramatically converted to Jesus Christ, grappled often with this tension throughout his writings.
In 1 Timothy 1:8-11, Paul declares the law good because it reveals what is not. It convinces us of sin.
“For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19 NKJV)
When he penned Galatians (Galatians 3:23-26) Paul recognized the law as a tutor, to bring us to Christ. He identified himself as having died to the law (Galatians 2:19-21) and freed through the love of Christ. And, in Romans 7:4-6, Paul tells us to serve in the newness of the Spirit rather than the oldness of the letter of the law which was burdensome and unattainable.
How then does it relate to boys on scooters?
The Apostle Paul’s instructions remind us to examine our motivation in obedience to His Word. God’s grace filled love for us meets together with His laws and our freedom in Christ. Loving Him puts us in a place of loving what He says and desiring to do what He wills. Obedience lives out love, and without respecting God’s laws, our testimony becomes so mushy it is dangerous to the gospel.
“For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” Galatians 5:13
Those little grandsons love each other so sweetly. After the predicted collision, (thankfully minor) a little scuffed and scraped-up, their love for one another was tested and it ruled.
They hugged each other, comforted the injured, and began to follow through with the set road laws…not perfectly, but with much improvement, because they let love for each other blossom into doing the right thing.
Under God’s laws all of us are equally in need of a Savior, and equally offered full redemption of sin through the death and resurrection of Christ. God’s laws were given that we might recognize our sins, in order to embrace His grace and forgiveness. The purpose is the same for all, and the reward free to everyone.
Love is the foundation.
Obedience its byproduct.
There are times when Jesus shows us His love as He does with scooter bound children. May He open our eyes this week to His grace-filled demonstrations, and may we recognize Him always ready to embrace us and pick us up again.
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