Justice & Sin

Two men, similar in every conceivable way, are pulled over in their respective cars and immediately arrested.  They are taken to jail and, though they each repeatedly cry out for justice and that they were arrested for seemingly no reason, they are thrown into cells to await going before the judge the next morning.  Just after dawn the next morning, the two men are taken before the judge.

The judge looks boldly at each of the men and, one at a time, explains that they are both being charged for the countless crimes that they've committed and being sentenced to the death penalty.  One of the men immediately falls to his knees before the judge and cries out, "Judge, I am a sinner and I wish to repent.  I see that apart from your mercy I deserve the due penalty for my crimes.  I fall prostrate before your gavel and besiege your mercy upon my wretched state."

The judge steps down from his bench and leans over the kneeling man, lifts the man's chin with his hand, and says gently, "Young man, your slate is wiped clean.  Because of your penitent repentance you have been forgiven."  The man stands up crying and the judge hugs him, throws his robe over the man, and sends him out.

The other man, expecting a similar hearing and verdict, walks haughtily over to the judge and, with pride says, "Now judge, I didn't do anything wrong.  I've committed no crimes and I don't deserve this."  The judge looks plainly at the man and says, "You are guilty of crimes committed, sin both known and unknown, and you must pay the penalty.  Bailiff, take this man away, my verdict is guilty; the sentence is death."  The man is pulled out of the court room violently swearing and going on about his innocence and how unjust the verdict is.

In reality, we all face judgement for the lives we've lived.  And we have a choice: either we can fall prostrate in humility before the Holy Lord and cry out for His forgiveness, or we can stare at God with pride and altogether deny our sin.  The choice truly is ours.  This is a stark truth not to be taken lightly.  But our eternal life is dependent upon our willingness to be humbled before God, the Almighty Judge.