When was the last time that you went down into the depths of the sewer to see if there was something worth salvaging down there, something that was discarded long ago, filthy beyond comprehension? I would hope that the answer would be never, but it serves as two analogies, that is where the world is looking for its rewards, its pleasures and excitements, and it is where the Lord Jesus went to find you and me.
Nothing in this world lasts for long, rust, tarnish, degradation, many lay up their treasures amongst the moths. (Matt. 6:19) And for the most part, they really do not care, as long as the shine on the object of their desire remains while they live, they are satisfied, and if it losses that glow, that glitter, they will head back down into the sewer for the next item that will bring them temporary happiness. That’s where most people can be found, in the sewer, in the world, and that is where Christ came to find us.
Think on it, we were not contemplating Him, He was not just an embarrassment to us, but we actually hated Him. What little thought that we might have given Christ was only when we were in some form of personal peril, and as soon as the troubles were gone, all those promises we made flew away at the same time. We stunk from sin, we were covered in our own self-righteousness, the odor of our rebellion was more than offensive to Him, and we were loathsome in His sight, yet He came down there in that dark, foul place that we called home and saved us from the second death. (Rev. 20:14) “Thank you” does not cut it, as they say, there is not enough words of praise and thanksgiving in any or all the human languages that we can offer to Him for His unspeakable gift.
I believe that most who call themselves by His name, Christians, have forgotten this, if they have ever contemplated it at all, we like to believe that we had, and still have, some form of value to the Most High, that there is something redeeming in us. With His blood we were redeemed, nothing in us was of any value to Christ, love is what prompted His actions.
Here is wisdom, He who did not need us, died for us.
He did not come down for kings and queens, but those He has chosen will become princes, He did not come down into the sewer looking for great rewards, but for willing servants. He brought no prize but Himself, and in Him the fulness of life.
I have never met anyone who was completely satisfied with what they possess, who desired absolutely nothing else, who was content. Once we begin to have a personal relationship with the Lord we can say with Paul, “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.” (Phil. 4:11) For we have found the One by whom not only were all things created but subsist. (Col. 1:16) But we want more, we will always want more, and so, we head back down into the sewer, searching for the next new shiny bauble, the next exciting pleasure, another treasure for our senses.
We all do it, but there will come a time when, at least for a few moments, as moments are counted in eternity, we will neither need nor desire anything else. It will be when we see Jesus, it will be when Psalm 16:11 is fulfilled, “In thy presence is fulness of joy.” Then we will be able to experience the pleasures, the true pleasures that we were searching for all the time.
