But it doesn’t have to be a construction zone. Sometimes just general traffic design like
the tunnel under Mobile Bay (the George C. Wallace Tunnel, if you’re
interested) takes traffic down to a few lanes.
You’re blowing down I-10 headed toward the beaches of the Gulf Shore on
four glorious lanes of unhindered speed…right until the tunnel. Then those four glorious lanes of speed are
funneled down to 2 lanes of bumper to bumper slowness. Sure the tunnel is fun to go under, but it’s
the same thing as the construction zones.
And everybody within the sound of my ticking keyboard (since you’re
reading this) knows the basic scenario. Some
people get over early and patiently wait in line in the correct lanes to wait
their turn to go through. Meanwhile, others
go flying by in the lane that ends and hope to find a hole in traffic just big
enough to jump over at the last minute.
Typically I get really mad at those last minute lane jumpers. They can see the signs and flashing lights –
but they ignore it until the last minute.
And it frustrates me! After all,
I’ve waiting patiently and safely in the correct lane all this time to wait my
turn to go through the tunnel. Sometimes
they have police officers sitting near the construction zones to encourage
getting in the correct lane early, but even with that it’s just a
suggestion…not real command to get over.
And you have two basic options.
Get over early, taking the safe route, or blow by in the lane that runs
out and try to jump over at the last minute.
But the end result for both is the same. We both go through the construction. We both go through the tunnel. And since I’ve spent quite a bit of time
sitting in this construction traffic lately, and have this funny little knack
of noticing things like this…I noticed it.
And now I’m passing it along to you.
Listen for the Whisper that tells you the Gospel call is
a lot like going through construction on the highway, or going through the
tunnel under Mobile Bay in Alabama. Like
the drivers in Matthew 20 where some saw the construction early and got over to
be prepared to go through the single lane ahead. While others decided to wait until the last
minute then jump over just before the lane ran out…maybe they didn’t wait until
the last minute on purpose. Maybe
someone asks them, “why didn’t you get over sooner?” And the driver replies,
“Because nobody would leave a gap for my car for me to be able to get
over.” So the “someone” leaves them a
gap to get over at the last minute. Of
course, now that person gets to go through BEFORE the person who’s waiting
patiently in line for 20 minutes to get their turn to go through! But then someone says to them, “didn’t you
choose to get over early on your own?
And didn’t you still get to take your turn to get through the
construction?”
Ok, so there’s no traffic mentioned in Matthew 20…it’s
actually the parable of the workers in the field…the ones that came in the last
hour were paid the same as the first.
And what happened? The Older
Brother from the Prodigal Son parable makes a guest-starring role. And he’s grumbling and complaining that those
other people get to go through the tunnel, too!
We want them to get caught in that outside lane! Karma should make them wait there, unable to
get over AT LEAST until we make it by them!
So we can point and laugh on the way by.
I mean, come on, we followed the rules and played it safe from the first
sign that said we needed to get over, and then not only do they get the same
reward, but they get it BEFORE ME!!
To be honest, this is one of those parables that has always
confused me a bit. I was born and raised
in the church, essentially. I’m the
older brother in the prodigal son. I’m
the worker in the field that hired on early in the day. I know it sounds a little stupid to even say
it, but I hear other people tell their conversion stories and feel a little
jealous. They almost all seem as
dramatic to me as Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. Or Moses seeing a burning bush. Or the Ethiopian Eunuch. They all get to experience that drastic
change of heart…that moment of realization that they’ve FOUND what they’ve been
seeking for so long! And sometimes I get
that strange feeling of having “just been here all along”. I’m the guy that grew up near the Mississippi
River and right next to Graceland…so I’ve never gotten that feeling of awe that
everyone else gets when they see either for the first time. And spiritually, it’s the same for me. I’ve always known the warmth of God’s Love. I’ve always been a Believer and when I was
baptized, it was just sort of the “expected” thing to do. That’s not to say that I didn’t take it
seriously, but much like marrying my wife after we’d dated for nearly 7
years…it was just the next thing that was supposed to happen. And then this parable tells me that they’ll
be rewarded first? Or is it a metaphor
about humbling myself? Or am I focusing
too much on what’s in it for me, and not enough on the fact that it’s offered
to all of us.
The trick in it all is to not be jealous of the ones that wait until life’s last minute to jump over to the safe lane. Be happy for them. Sometimes they don’t get over in time…they try to get over, and misjudge the gap. They crash. They take others with them. They make it that that much harder for you to get through the construction when you get to it. So the trick is to rejoice that they were able to get over. When you hear their conversion story, rejoice in it. Be happy that they made it to the right lane in time. And back out of the world of metaphors and into reality for just a minute…be glad for the real drivers on the real roads. It might frustrate you a little that they got away with it, but at least they didn’t kill themselves or anyone else while trying to jump over at the last minute. Ephesians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord, always, and again I say Rejoice.”
On the roads, and in Christ, there are Two Lanes of
Freedom (to borrow a Tim McGraw song title):
The safe road that starts early and goes long, and the road that flies
by quickly and ends with a nick-of-time decision to jump in the right lane. Both are cause for celebration. Jesus died for both. Matthew 20 tells us quite explicitly that the
gift of Salvation belongs to Christ, and He may give to whomever He
chooses. The hard part for us “Older
Brothers” is to be happy that the lost were found and get to share in our
reward. It’s way too easy for us to
judge whether the prodigal sons mean it or not…”no atheists in foxholes” we
like to say…and “we know what their life is really about” we like to say. And to that sentiment, I offer this last
simple illustration.
On the day Jesus was crucified…at the exact same time
Jesus was on that cross, there were two drivers driving in the lane that runs
out. When it came down to dying with
Jesus or dying without Jesus, one thief chose to mock Him and die without Jesus
and the other chose to accept the Jesus for who He was. He jumped over into the safe lane at the last
minute. And Jesus replied to him, “you
don’t really mean it…I mean, you just jumped over now because you’re hanging on
a cross…and you know what they say about atheists in foxholes.” Oh wait…that’s what we say. What actually happened was that the other
driver lived his whole life in the fast lane and literally waited until the
remainder of his life was measured in minutes to make that jump over to the
safe lane called out to Jesus to remember him.
And what Jesus said was, “today you will be with me in paradise.” The next time you come to some road
congestion, find your joy in your Salvation.
Watch the other drivers and be mindful that we each make our choice
about when to follow Jesus. We’ll pick
one of two lanes that lead to freedom from sin.
And we’re to rejoice for all who find Salvation. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say
rejoice…yeah, even when you’re stuck in insanely bad, stand-still traffic. Because maybe now when you’re stuck in
traffic, it’ll remind you of the path you chose to get to Jesus. Then take that time to say a thank you
prayer.
~Dwayne
http://listenforthewhisper.blogspot.com
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