At a busy street corner several hundred people were gathered, watching a clown. He was performing tricks and making funny remarks to the great amusement of the crowd. Following his performance the clown would ask the people for money, and in this way he made a living.
But at this performance there would be no money collected. A very strange thing happened. In the crowd gathered at the street corner was a Christian man. Rather than being amused by what he saw, he pitied the clown. Taking a gospel tract from his pocket, he made his way to the front and handed it to the clown. He took it from him with a look of contempt. Then he held it up high for all to see, and in a mocking voice he began to read it aloud, seeking to make a joke of it. The clown read with a clear, loud voice so that no one in the crowd could possibly miss a word.
The Christian who had given him the tract, remained at the edge of the crowd, listening with a heavy heart. God’s message of salvation was being treated as a joke. The clown read the tract all the way through. The closing words were, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.” Luke 12:2020But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? (Luke 12:20).
The clown stood silently as he finished reading. But now his face changed, and mockery turned to dismay. Suddenly he left his stand, made his way through the crowd, and began to run as if his life depended on it. The people who had been watching his performance, now looked after him in utter astonishment, not knowing what had happened.
The Christian now took after the runaway clown. After a good chase, he caught up with him. Over and over the clown repeated, “I am lost! I am lost!”
The Christian was able to tell of God’s love for sinners, and the poor clown listened. The words at the end of the tract had pierced his heart and conscience. He realized that he was a fool and that if he died his soul would be in a lost eternity. How sweet to him now were the words of the Christian man as he heard of the death of the Lord Jesus on Calvary’s cross. Just as he was, the clown put his trust in the Saviour of sinners.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”
ML-02/11/1979