The townspeople called him “El Aleman,” which means “the German,” because he had green eyes and blonde hair and looked more German than Mexican.
As he walked through the marketplace, El Aleman’s leather sandals slapped the dusty cobblestones. It was getting to be late morning with the bright sun rising higher and hotter, and still he had not tasted a bite of food. He looked into the faces of those he passed, searching for someone kind who might give him something to eat.
He walked by a fruit stand full of crates of brightly-colored ripe fruit. The seller, an elderly, heavyset woman eyed him suspiciously.
No handouts here, he thought to himself.
El Aleman rubbed his empty stomach. Hunger was twisting it into a knot. Then the wonderful odors of food coming from an outdoor cafe made him turn. He walked over and stood at the edge of the cafe staring. A man and a woman were eating ham and eggs and sipping steaming coffee at a table. He could tell they were Americans. He had no problem begging from the people of his own town, but these people were strangers. El Aleman watched them eat. He watched as they pushed in their chairs and were about to pay the bill. He went up to the man and woman, meaning to beg only a coin to buy a piece of fruit. He stood before them, but the shyness he felt made him quiet. He didn’t speak.
“Have you eaten breakfast, boy?” the man asked.
“A coin, Se-or, a coin?” the boy begged, hoping to buy only a piece of fruit.
“A coin, no. I will buy you all you can eat. Sit down. Se-ora, cook this boy all he can eat and give him something to drink. I will pay the bill.”
El Aleman ate a meal like he had not eaten in a long time.
How kind that man was to El Aleman. But do you know the kindest man there ever was? The Lord Jesus, like the man who bought the meal, is a kind and generous giver. If we come to Him in our misery and unhappiness He knows exactly what we need. He knows that sin brings us into misery in this life and will take us into hell after death. He knows that sin is too big a problem for us to handle by ourselves. It is such a big problem that even other men, although they may be wise and kind, cannot free us from the burden of sin. The Lord Jesus, the greatest giver of all time, is the only One who can save us from our sins and from eternal punishment. And He has already made all the arrangements.
To save us from our sins, the Lord Jesus died on Calvary’s cross. The very One who in the beginning created man, died for His creature’s sins. Now all who are truly sorry about their sins and believe on Him receive the gift of eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
Don’t search for happiness apart from God, but come to the Lord Jesus and receive the greatest gift of all. “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23).
The Lord Jesus will do more for us than we could ever think -“Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Ephesians 3:2020Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, (Ephesians 3:20). Come to Him by faith and you will certainly find out what a giver He is!
ML-01/10/1993