the dilemma of the skunk

My neighbor has been trapping some pesky raccoons this summer, but snagged a skunk instead. It seems to me he had two options:

1. Let the skunk die, dispose of its body, re-set the trap and pray for no more skunks.

2. Free the skunk from the trap, all the while knowing he’ll get sprayed.

While I don’t know for sure which option he chose, there was a very strong odor next to his house for the next couple of days. I’m guessing he paid a big price for letting the skunk free.

Jesus did something similar for us. He saw that we were dead in our sins and utterly trapped.1

We were going to be judged for our sins.2

But, praise God, He decided to hold His nose and come to planet earth, a place where sinners like you and I reside. The stench must have been horrible, but He put up with it. And why? It’s love, pure and simple. He loves me. And He loves you, too.3

Pretty cool, huh?

I’m guessing the next time I smell a skunk I’ll think of me and the horrific odor of my sinfulness. But I’ll also think about the awesome and loving God who came to my rescue, opened up the trap and set me free.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade-kept in heaven for you.”4

1 Ephesians 2:1
2 Hebrews 9:27
3 John 3:16
4 1 Peter 1:3-4