The carnival was in full swing. Rides and games and music and shows were offering fun for all, and John Summers had been "raking in" the money at the crooked game he ran. His game was "rigged... so there was no way the suckers could win" and he had just won a man's whole paycheck.
Suddenly the man's wife pushed her way through the noisy crowd and lifted her two small children onto his counter. "Here... now you take care of them," she cried, and ran out into the night.
Two tired, hungry little faces were lifted to John, and he stared back in dismay. The money he had "won" from their father grew heavy in his pocket and, hastily closing his booth, he rushed out in search of the parents. Soon the money was restored to them. They gathered up their children and left the carnival, and John sighed with relief.
He felt he was well out of that situation. He had given the money back, and for a short time he felt better. But his conscience had been awakened, and he couldn't forget all the people he had cheated in the past. It had seemed smart to take their money with crooked games, and he had been successful at it, making $20,000 to $30,000 a year. Now he could only feel that it had been stolen money, and he was just a thief.
One man's paycheck had been returned, but it was impossible to restore the rest, as it had been taken over many years and from so many different people. The burden grew heavier and heavier. A debt that he could never pay seemed to be dragging him down to destruction. Was there no hope for a thief?
At last he could only see himself as he was, a sinner, and how he welcomed the news that Jesus came to save sinners! Even sinners such as the thief on the cross and the "chief of sinners," the Apostle Paul, had received forgiveness of their sins. Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Luke 5:3232I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Luke 5:32).
Gladly he accepted God's offer of salvation; gladly he took his place as a sinner; gladly he could join in saying, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).