Do you have “Show and Tell” in your class at school? Michael did. Every Thursday afternoon Mrs. Miller, Michael’s teacher, would remind the class: “If any of you have a special treasure you would like to share with the class, bring it to school tomorrow, and you may show it to the whole class and tell us all about it.”
The children brought things like a special rock or a souvenir from summer vacation. Some brought their favorite stuffed animals and even favorite photographs to share with the class.
One Thursday afternoon in early February, Mrs. Miller made the usual “Show and Tell” announcement to the class. Michael decided he had something he wanted to bring the next day. His dad had found something really neat in a trash pile by the side of the road a few months ago. Michael knew that all the boys, and maybe even the girls, would be interested in the really great things you could get free from the trash.
On Friday morning he set off for school, lugging his treasure and looking forward to sharing it with the class.
Finally his turn came. “Michael,” said Mrs. Miller, “what do you have to show us today?”
Michael walked to the front of the room and faced the class. Pulling his treasure out of the sack he had carried it in, he held it up for everyone to see. “Look at what my dad found in the trash,” he announced. “Does anybody know what it is?”
There was a moment of silence as the children stared at the strange object. Mrs. Miller was staring too, but she was not puzzled as to what it was — she knew what it was and was horrified!
“Michael,” she said, quickly walking over to him and cupping her hands under his, “I want you to very gently lay that hand grenade in my hands... thank you. Now please go back to your seat.”
Michael obeyed, but he sure couldn’t figure out why Mrs. Miller was upset and reacting this way. After all, his dad had said the old grenade was just a dud and couldn’t hurt anybody. He quickly told her what his dad had said.
Mrs. Miller very carefully and gently set the hand grenade on her desk. She still seemed upset and kind of scared as she stood between the hand grenade and the children. She seemed uncertain what to do next.
Not wanting to leave the children alone, she finally said to Anita who sat closest to the door, “Anita, please quietly get up and slowly open the door. Good. Now I want you to quickly walk to the principal’s office and ask him to call the police and tell them that I think we have a ‘live’ hand grenade in our classroom.”
The children were really frightened now, and while Anita was gone to the office, Mrs. Miller did some explaining. She told them she wasn’t sure the hand grenade was safe and that as long as they stayed still and quiet they would be all right. But if anyone were to accidentally bump the grenade it might explode, and then many of them could be killed or seriously wounded.
Why do you suppose Mrs. Miller frightened the class like that? Why didn’t she just let Michael pass the grenade around for everyone to handle and look at? It was because she knew the danger they were all in, and she loved the boys and girls enough to warn them of the danger and to try to protect them.
Maybe someone has frightened you too. Perhaps your mom or dad or Sunday school teacher has told you that you have sinned, and that “the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23). They have warned you that God cannot allow one sin into heaven, and since “all have sinned” (Rom. 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), that includes you. Why do they tell you these scary things? It is because they love you, and they want you to learn how to get rid of those sins so that you can be in heaven with the Lord Jesus who loves you even more.
The police soon came to Michael’s classroom and said that the grenade really was a dangerous “live” one! They ordered the children and Mrs. Miller to quietly leave the room and go to the playground. Soon the bomb-disposal squad arrived. Using their special equipment, they carried the hand grenade to a safe place far away from people and exploded it harmlessly. Michael and his classmates were safe.
It took special men with special equipment to remove the danger to Michael and his school friends. And it took One Special Man in one very special way to remove my sins by taking all of the punishment that I deserved. The Lord Jesus Christ had to die on the cross of Calvary and shed His blood so that my sins could be taken away. Now He tells us that “the blood of Jesus Christ His [God’s] Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). Isn’t that wonderful? He loves us so much that He died so that your sins and my sins and the sins of every sinner who will trust in Him can be forever washed away.
My sins are gone, and I am ready to go to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. Are you safe from the judgment to come? Are your sins gone? “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
ML-05/22/1988