“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” - John 10:10 (NKJV)
A few years ago, I read Father Gregory Boyle's book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion. Later that same year, I had the opportunity to hear him speak at Providence College about his experiences of 20 years working with the gangs of South Los Angeles through the organization he founded, Homeboy Industries. Homeboy Industries works to get gang members off the streets and help them move towards a different life. One of the shocking things I remember from the book is, “The life expectancy of a gang member is twenty-one years." The young people involved in gangs know this statistic; they fully expect to die at a young age, and they are okay with it! For them, it is just a simple fact of life.
Accepting this reality is the work of the thief talked about in today’s verse. The thief, Satan, cares nothing about human life; his entire objective is to steal souls. It was the evil one who whispered in James Dean the ridiculous and rebellious statement that he wanted to "Live fast, die young, and leave a beautiful corpse.” Satan delights in stealing, killing, and destroying, caring nothing for the devastation he leaves in his wake. This is Satan’s modus operandi, regardless of where you live–South Los Angeles, Brockton, or anywhere else.
But Jesus came to change all that. God came to earth in human form, lived the human experience–the joy and sorrow—and took His place upon the cross so we could have real life—a life free from the chains of sin, a life of hope. Not only does God want us to live, but He desires us to experience abundant life. Some translations in place of abundant use the expressions “life to the fullest” (CEB) and “rich and satisfying life” (NLT); the point is God wants us to have a life free of the dread of death, through him we have the promise of a life beyond the here and now. That is to say, he is with us in the present and the future.
Father God, we thank You for the fullness of life found in the promise of Your son, Jesus Christ. Help us to be ever aware of the thief, whose sole purpose is to claim our souls. Regardless of our age or where we live, his objective is to steal, kill, and destroy. Father, through the Holy Spirit, help us to claim the promise of a joyful and abundant life. May we witness Your great love to others living under the shadow of the evil one so they may be aware of Your loving grace and find hope in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Blessings,
Pastor Tim
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