The Sunday school children were all curious to see what Mr. Williams had in the paper bag he set on the table.
“I need someone to help me,” Mr. Williams announced.
Several of the children raised their hands, and Mr. Williams chose Peter to come up beside him.
“Good morning,” Mr. Williams said as he shook hands with Peter. “First, will you please say the memory verse you learned for today.”
“Thank you. Now will you please look in the bag and tell everyone what’s in there.”
“Ugh, it’s a plastic bag full of mud!” said Peter in disgust.
Mr. Williams took out the bag of mud and rubbed his hands in it. Then he offered his hand to Peter. Peter just backed away.
“Why won’t you shake hands with me, Peter? You were willing to a minute ago.”
“Your hand was clean then,” answered Peter.
“Yes,” said Mr. Williams. “This mud makes me unacceptable to Peter, and sin makes each of us just as unacceptable to God. He can only receive us when we’ve been washed clean in the precious blood of His own beloved Son.”
Then Mr. Williams dug around in the bag of mud a little more and brought out a mucky quarter. He offered it to Peter, but Peter didn’t take it.
“Don’t you want this quarter?”
“Not now,” said Peter decidedly.
Mr. Williams explained the point he was trying to make. “Sometimes people who have not had their sins washed away try to do something good for God. But God says, ‘Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him’ (Hebrews 11:66But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)). God cannot accept the good works of a person still in their sins.”
Mr. Williams tried to hide his muddy hands behind his back, but some of the children could still see them and were giggling and pointing at them. So Mr. Williams put on a pair of long gloves. “Now you can’t see the mud,” he stated.
“But we know it’s still there,” one of the children volunteered.
Mr. Williams asked another boy, Philip, if he would please bring some water and wash his own hands in it. Philip did, but Mr. Williams’ hands were still just as filthy, and he explained, “You may have friends and family whose sins are washed away in the blood of Christ, but that won’t wash your sins away. We must each come to the Lord Jesus and confess our own uncleanness and let Him wash our sins away. Our God is a loving God, ‘ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness’ ” (Nehemiah 9:1717And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not. (Nehemiah 9:17)).
Finally Mr. Williams washed his own hands. There was no mud left on them. Now Peter willingly shook hands with him again.
Won’t you let the Lord Jesus wash your sins away?
What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
So that not one spot remains?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Oh, precious is the flow,
That makes me white as snow!
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
ML-01/31/1999