Your largest creditor has been paid!

Marika, our administrative right-hand man, works very, very hard, and I am so grateful to be able to give her a raise. But what a surprise to see how much of the increase goes to your pocket and how much to the recipient of the income.

Yes, I know we have to pay taxes, but it’s like paying a creditor. A creditor who doesn’t always provide the kind of service I want! But wait, I’m losing track of my story.

I wish I could tell her that she will receive the entire increase and that I will pay the taxes for her. And I kept dreaming … what if someone comes to me or you and tells me that they will pay us taxes every month? No matter what you win, he will pay the receiver himself.

Wow, I’m sure, like me, you’ll jump as high as you can when you hear that. This creditor, who waits every month and takes his share of my money even before I receive it. I will sleep better because I will have so much more to spend.

Sounds like heaven, huh?

In a way, that’s what Jesus came to do. But let’s do the sums before we get there. The sum total of all our sins is death. We have to pay with our lives. In other words, we have to pay with our lives when we die. We are in debt and therefore the devil is the great creditor to whom we owe our lives.

These are the sums of sin.

Fortunately, Jesus came and drew a line through this sum.

14-15 Since children are made of flesh and blood, it is logical that the Savior was made of flesh and blood to rescue them with his death. By embracing death, taking it upon himself, he destroyed the Devil’s control over death and freed all who cower for life, terrified of death.

Jesus died in our place. He was punished for our sins in our place. He took out of the game the one to whom we owed our lives. Jesus completely removed the great creditor from our lives and we owe him nothing!

What a bless. Almost like my dream of the tax burden disappearing from my payroll. But much bigger, because this blessing is about life and death.

Paying the bill is obviously much, much bigger too. Jesus had to die. He had to sacrifice his life for the Bank Manager to approve the payment.

That is why we no longer have to fear death. The sting of death is gone. The day we arrive, we can simply show the receipt: Paid!

Holy Scripture
Hebrews 2: 14-18

Reflection
Do you think Jesus has defeated the devil?
Are you afraid of dying?
How do you experience the victory of Jesus?

Pray
Jesus, I am so thankful that I no longer have to fear death. Thank you for having the courage to go through death. Help me to live a life without fear. Amen.