One summer day Brandon was playing in the backyard with his younger brother Eric. One game they liked to play was “pirates.” Since Brandon was older he was in command. He gave the order to Eric, “Sailor, climb the mast and untie the rope!”
Eric asked, “What mast?”
Brandon pointed to the heavy pole that the clothes line was tied to and stated, “That mast, sailor.”
“But, Brandon, it’s too big for me.”
Brandon answered, “Okay, I’ll climb it myself and get the rope down... if you’ll let me tie you up like you’re my prisoner.”
Eric agreed.
Brandon got the clothesline down. Then, beginning at Eric’s feet he started coiling the rope around him. It was a long rope, and he kept wrapping it around Eric until it almost reached his head. Brandon had just finished tying the last knot when he noticed something scary... Buttons was loose again!
This time Buttons wasn’t very close, and Brandon had enough time to run to the house and up the back steps to the porch where Buttons couldn’t get him. But as soon as he got to the top of the steps, he remembered that he had left his little brother Eric lying on the grass tied up with all that rope, and Eric couldn’t move!
Brandon was terrified of Buttons. But the thought of what Buttons would do to Eric was too much for him. It didn’t matter if he died trying, he must save his brother!
Brandon ran back to the spot where Eric lay tied. At first he tried to untie him, but when that took too long Brandon picked up his brother with a strength that surprised him, and carried him on his shoulder to the porch. Buttons reached them just as Brandon hurried up the steps with Eric. They barely escaped, and Brandon felt like he had just done the bravest act in all his life.
Brandon had tied up Eric really well with lots of rope and lots of knots. It took a lot of work to get him untied, but at least they were safe. Boys and girls, do you know that when we sin, sin wraps itself around and around our hearts so that we never can get free from it by ourselves. Jesus the Saviour is the only one who can free us from our sins.
One time Jesus was in a house, and four men carried another man who was sick of the palsy to Jesus for help. There were so many people around the house that they couldn’t get through the door. So these men climbed up on top of the house, broke up the roof and let down their sick friend, bed and all, in front of Jesus.
Do you know what the Lord Jesus said to him? He said, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.... Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk.” Mark 2:3-123And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. 4And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. 5When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. 6But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, 7Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? 8And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? 9Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? 10But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 12And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. (Mark 2:3‑12). And the man was healed, but more important than that, his sins were forgiven.
We each need our sins forgiven, too, just as that sick man in the Bible did. If you want your sins forgiven then come to Jesus by faith, believing that He shed His blood to wash your sins away.
ML-08/03/1986