Freed!

 

 

 

Jesus’ closest parable to the ship in the canal must be the similarly comical camel trying to get through the eye of a needle. Whether Jesus meant a narrow gate in Jerusalem or an actual sewing needle, it’s pretty hilarious in a Laurel and Hardy way. Impossibly burdened and unable to make progress. The ship was finally freed by small diggers and tugboats with a high tide, but the burden of sin is too much for us to shrug off alone. It is also noticeable that with the grounded ship, it was not long before over 400 more were waiting, queuing, and it suggests to me that sometimes we forget how much our failings affect others. Unkind words and actions have repercussions, and we can be so caught up with our own issues that we forget how our failures cause problems for other people.

 

I don’t know if you remember the name of the ship in the Suez canal? It was “Ever Given”. I don’t know what the owners meant, but what a gift for a preacher. Ever Given. Whatever we do, we cannot earn our salvation, it is given to us by Jesus. He was only one person being faithful to his calling, but he has made it possible for us all to know and follow the way of God, by laying down his life. As Paul says in Romans: “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”(6.23).                          

It is just that, a free gift, held out for us to accept and use in our daily living. And it does not wear out, nothing can take it away or destroy it, the gift is for Ever. That free gift of eternal life was earned on the cross and revealed in the resurrection, and today we rejoice in the Easter hope. So let us bring all we have and all we are to God, turning from our sins and accepting the new life that frees us from fear, and (Covid vaccine reference coming up - don’t believe the conspiracy theorists, get yours!) receive the ultimate injection of hope which is the wonder of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.