Crushing the Trash

I was taking a walk around the neighborhood early this morning, and I noted all the bags and containers of trash waiting to be picked up.  I waved at the trash collector when he drove by, but the Marine inside me wanted to salute.  Thank-you to all our waste disposal workers who remain on-the-job!

We're a people with a lot of stuff, a lot of junk, and a lot of trash.  We're constantly throwing stuff away.  

Not only that, but we have a lot of trash on the inside of us, a lot of sin, struggles, hurts, temptations, guilt, covetousness, sloth, envy, pride.  The list goes on.  We have a lot of trash.

And this "inside trash" we like to hide it, and just carry it around with us.  It's on the inside, so nobody sees it or knows what we're bearing or what our insides actually look like.  Even carrying this "inside trash" is more trash - our shame - that we also bear.

Paul puts it this way...

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh...Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Romans 7:18 and 24

And David prays...

Have mercy on me, O God...my sin is ever before me...Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Psalm 51:1, 3, and 10

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the Son, was born into this world as a baby, as one of us.  He lived among us.  He fed people and healed them; He taught and loved them.  

But He also came to save them.  And He came to save us, to rid us of that trash inside of us, to crush it.  That's why He went to the cross.

He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.  1 John 2:2

But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.       Isaiah 53:5

And just like that faithful trash worker, Jesus takes my "inside trash" again and again and again, as many times as I need Him to take it, He takes it.  And He forgives my sins and makes me clean and sets me free. 

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  John 8:36