Cecil Williams, a 61-year-old man, walked down the long flight of steps leading from the busy New York street to the subway station below. In one hand he held a white slender pole with a red tip. He used the pole to tap the steps and make sure of his footing. In the other hand he held onto the leather harness of his seeing-eye dog, Orlando. The dog, a black Labrador, knew his business. He calmly led his blind master to the platform where they would board a train. The dog had been guiding his owner for several years.
As they approached the edge of the platform, they could hear the clickety-click of the wheels of the approaching train as they ran over the track. Peering down the darkness of the tunnel, the dog could see its headlights growing bigger and brighter.
Suddenly, Orlando felt his master stagger and sway back and forth. The dog tried to guide his master away from the edge of the platform, but his owner didn’t respond. His master was suffering from a diabetic seizure and tottered for a few more seconds. Then, letting go of the harness, he lost his balance and fell off the platform and onto the path of the oncoming train. His head hit the track with a thud.
The dog had been trained to recognize and avoid danger. But no training had ever prepared the dog for this situation. His blind master was lying across the tracks of an oncoming train in a state of semi-consciousness.
Orlando didn’t hesitate. He jumped down from the platform and lay down by the man’s head and licked his face.
If you would like a friend who is faithful and true, I know of one for you. His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is sometimes called the “Friend of Sinners” and a very good friend for us too, because we have all had a terrible fall. We each have sinned and fallen onto the path of oncoming judgment. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:66All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)). The Lord Jesus knew that we had no way to save ourselves from our fall into sin, so He came to this earth and willingly died in the sinner’s place. On the cross He paid the supreme penalty for sins that we might be saved. “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:66For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)).
Maybe it was the dog’s long, rough, wet tongue on his cheek that brought Cecil back to awareness. A bystander hurried to the spot where the man and dog lay on the tracks. There wasn’t enough time to jump down and lift them to safety.
“Listen! You need to listen! Roll over to the middle of the tracks and hold still!” the bystander shouted.
The fallen man did as he was told and held tightly to Orlando. As the train rolled into the station, two cars swept over the man and dog. There were just a few inches of clearance between them and certain death by being crushed by the undercarriage of the train.
When the train conductor knew that a man was under the tracks, he stopped the train and shut off the power. One of the bystanders then climbed down and crawled under the train and carefully dragged the fallen man out. Paramedics arrived at the platform moments later. They lifted Cecil onto a stretcher and carried him up the steps to a waiting ambulance. The man spent several days in the hospital where doctors kept an eye on him, and faithful Orlando stayed right by his side most of the time. It turned out that Cecil had received a bad scrape on the side of his head in the fall but otherwise was okay.
Cecil had always appreciated Orlando’s faithfulness, but his appreciation grew by leaps and bounds after his dog jumped down into the path of the onrushing train. Good friends don’t desert one another in trouble, and Orlando proved himself to be a good friend.
When sinners believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, God forgives all their sins. “In whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:1414In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: (Colossians 1:14)). They are pulled from the wreckage of sin and saved from the judgment to come.
The Lord Jesus is loyal and faithful and a good friend above all others. He has promised to never leave those who believe on His name. In His faithfulness, He will safely guide through this life all those who believe, until they arrive in heaven. “Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Psalm 73:2424Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. (Psalm 73:24)).
Each one of us has fallen into sin, and because of our sin, we are on the path of upcoming judgment. If we come to the Lord Jesus in repentance and faith, He will surely save us. And that’s a promise!
ML-04/20/2014