DAY OF RECKONING

The young man glanced towards his daughter and girlfriend. And then he focused his attention on the judge who had just sentenced him. Out on bond, but a police officer was waiting to take the guilty man directly from court to jail.

With an anguished look he could barely speak, “I, I need to take care of some things.” Without emotion, the judge replied: “Today is the day of reckoning.” With a help-save-me look, the man lowered his head and left with the officer.

As I drove from court to home I picked up a hitch hiker.

Tim had been in court that day also. His sentencing had been delayed because of impending heart surgery. Our rapid fire discussion soon spilled over into what might happen if the surgery turned tragic—“Are you ready to go?”

Tim appeared to be in his fifties: “I need to go see Sister Maxine.” Why’s that? “I think she’s close to God.”

Tim didn’t know if he was ready to go, but he wanted to take care of spiritual business.

The Bible states, “Man is destined to die once and after that face judgment.” A day of reckoning.

Tim had a bag full of spiritual experiences- he kept pulling them out during our ten minute drive. Baptism, vacation Bible school, a godly mother, and intermittent church attendance.

Still he was reaching for more. Facing heart surgery and the what-if possibility, he was also experiencing spiritual heart surgery. Tim concluded his life would eventually terminate with a gavel thumping, that’s-it, final judgment.

The judge in court that day wearily looked down at a stack of paperwork. Looking up, he gave his final remark to the guilty man: “People are never ready to go.”

I disagree. A person can be ready, confidently ready and worry free. With Jesus . . . there’s hope Tim.