April 29, 2026

When I was about 8 years old, I was in Iowa one summer visiting my grandparents. We went one evening to visit a relative, who, let’s just say, really loved money. He was the type of guy that would have sold his own kids if he could get enough for them. He lived on the other side of town. Since the town had a population of about 50, the trip to his place was a rather short walk.

He had a big yard, and a John Deere riding mower, and the idea of sitting with grown-ups listening to them drone on about grown-up stuff was too much. So, I decided to drive his little tractor around and around and around the yard, which after a while was also rather boring. Sitting in his driveway was a brand-new Buick. So, to add some excitement to my evening, I tried to see how close I could come to his car without hitting it. One time, however, I got way too close and instead of pressing on the brake, I panicked and only pressed on the clutch and slammed right into the driver’s side door caving it in. My short life was now officially over.

I knew that I was in deep weeds, so I ran. I literally ran all the way to the other side of the town! (ok, only 3 streets away) I found an apple tree and climbed all the way to the top, where I could not be seen. My hope was, that his anger would perhaps turn into a wee bit of concern when I couldn’t be found. I stayed in that tree for a long time that evening. And it worked. I saw the adults walking around looking for me, heard them call for me and even stand in the yard of the tree I was in. I could tell by tone of their voice that there was more concern than anger, so I decided to climb down in hopes that I wouldn’t go to jail or be grounded for 10 years.

Is that how God’s anger responds to our sin? Does God go on a long walk in order to cool down? NO! God’s anger is not primarily emotional, it is judicial. God’s anger is his settled disposition against the wrongness of sin. God’s anger is the result of his perfect righteousness being offended by sin. Our sin offends the perfect justice of God and there has to be a corresponding price paid, sacrifice made, offering offered, that matches the offense. We are incapable of doing that on our own.

A guy I know was dropping his mom off for mass the other day. She was miffed that he wasn’t joining her, so when he said, “Say a prayer for me.” She curtly responded, “Save yourself!” Well, how can we do that? How can we pay a price that matches the infinite offense of our sin? Even if we could spend a few thousand years in apple trees, or light a few thousand candles at a mass, it wouldn’t do a thing. We can’t save ourselves. Praise God we don’t have to. Christ did! He did for us what we could never do for ourselves. His death was the full and final payment that our sin demanded. The price has been paid and it is ours to be received, by faith alone in Christ alone. This means the glory goes all to him. The cross is where our pride is killed and where true worship begins.

Grace and peace,

Bob

Sunday’s Text: Luke 19:11-27