The gospel: the thief and the redeemer

There once was a thief. This thief is a grandiose narcissistic thief. Charming, charismatic, shining bright like a star, but cold as ice, void of any love except love for stealing, and love for himself. He is like an evil Robin Hood; he steals from the rich and the poor alike, and then sits on everything he has stolen, offering it to no one, not even his most loyal subjects, they are just his feet-rags. This thief (as most thieves) is extremely entitled. The thief believes he has a right to own whatever it is he seeks to steal. And, in his great sense of entitlement, “the end justifies the means!” The thief has the audacity to stoop to the lowest depths in terms of morality and decency. There are no rules, no integrity, no class.

Some of us are attracted to such villains; we see these badasses with admiration for their intelligence and calculation, their determination. However, this thief is not like those Hollywood villains; he makes them look righteous! This thief has no loyalty; he betrays everyone around him with his own lust to possess and own. The mafia bosses may leave their hands off women and children, but not this thief. And even drug cartels will make some effort to avoid civilians. But not this thief. This thief is the author of cruelty and steals children, women, and men, who are totally clueless to his hijacking. The objects of this thief’s stealing are so confused by him. In fact, that is how he sees them, as objects. He creates illusions of a grand future, a wonderful life with him, like a snake-oil businessman with a cunning but subtly cold grin who slightly clenches his fists if there is even the slightest resistance to his offer. Then suddenly, you wake up, and this offer has backfired; it has brought you confusion, torment, and now you ask the thief, “I thought you said I…” you are interrupted immediately, the thief does not care about your voice at all, unless your voice exposes him, the thief then will slap you, torture you, with pain and psychological trauma designed specifically for you so you never question the thief.

This thief hits you right where it hurts, right where the wound is. Manipulates you to a point where you feel as if your mind has been stolen from you. This thief, when he is sent out to steal, does not just steal money, like what most mafia and drug cartels are after. In fact, money is of little concern to this thief! While the thief robs money, he robs everything when he breaks into a home. Your seven-year-old child’s blanket, which was a soothing blanky for years, stolen. Your wedding book photo album with every cherished photo, steals that too (oh, and if you have a hard copy on your laptop, that he steals too!). Oh, say you are heartless, you got nothing or no one you love, nothing the thief can steal, the thief will steal your precious life, which is the one thing you care about. On top of everything, the thief will wipe you clean of all your possessions and all your money! Any sense of happiness, any sense of life, or love, anything good, the thief will intentionally steal that from you.

The thing about a thief is, they leave you with nothing. It is not like a thief is taking something from you and turning it into a bank with interest to be given back in due season. No, this thief has no good intentions, no best interests in mind; this thief leaves you in a deserted wasteland with absolutely nothing. Steals your hope. Steals your identity. Robs you even of your insurance plans.

It seems as if nothing can stop this thief; his stealing effect is widespread—it has left towns and villages utterly hopeless and in ashes. They no longer even seek justice or retribution for this wicked thief stealing everything they have and are. But, behind the arrogance of this thief, behind the obnoxious gun in your face and the subtle, corrupt hustle he showcases, this thief has an insecurity. It is not even just a minor insecurity; it is a deep insecurity and a deep fear:

The redeemer.

The redeemer is nothing at all like the thief. It is not even a matter of opposites. Opposites suggest equality. No, the redeemer is far exceedingly wise and intelligent, far more determined to achieve his cause. The redeemer is so rich in such power, he does not try to arrogantly display it with loud talk and hollering like the thief. His power is assured and certain, unlike the thief whose power is limited. The redeemer has unlimited power at his hands. Not only is the redeemer powerful, but he is full of love and grace and clarity. He is direct; there are no illusions with him. The redeemer is always one step, in fact, many steps in front of all of us, including the thief. The redeemer does not steal back from the thief like an “eye for an eye,” so to speak; he redeems. He takes back what is rightfully his.

The thief is sitting on top of the world, with all these stolen souls under him. But the redeemer is not phased. The redeemer knows how to take back what was always his. The redeemer was going to pay a price for all these souls that were unknowingly stolen by the thief. All these souls got caught up in the thievery business of the thief. The thief got them, but that was not going to stop the redeemer. You see, the redeemer also has a secret alliance with the original owner of the souls. The original owner sent the redeemer to revoke the thief, to bind him up, and redeem his goods. The original owner settled a deal that the redeemer would pay a price that none of the stolen souls could pay the thief (and even if they could pay, the thief would never allow them freedom!).

So, the loving, caring redeemer went to a place where he would lose everything. Not that anything was being stolen from him. No, he is giving. That is the redeemer. A giver. He is giving up himself; he is the redemption. In him is the redemptive power to take back the stolen souls. The redeemer sacrificed himself. And, at that moment, the thief trembled in cowardice; the souls can now be redeemed, and he can do nothing about it!

Jesus Christ is the Redeemer. And Satan is nonetheless than the wicked thief with narcissistic insecurities. And we are the stolen goods. Satan robbed us of our human dignity as created in the image of God by stealing Eve’s mind of the truth and then targeting Adam right in the place where it hurt to incite him into rebellion. But God owns humanity, not Satan. And now that Jesus Christ has paid the price with His blood on behalf of the sins of the whole world, every human being can come to Him to be redeemed, to be free from their stolen lives in sin and in death.

Jesus Christ the Redeemer, purchased us, meaning we do have a price and we do have value. And, we were worth being redeemed. So, see what love God has given us that He sent us His only begotten Son to save us! We have someone who does not want to steal us back by force, but one who has already redeemed us into something better, into someone forever in God’s uncreated, eternal life. Christ has not brought us back to before the fall; He has brought us the tree of life. He has redeemed us and given us an even better life, and He is the door.

So, come and knock, and it shall be opened to you… For the Father freely gave His Son for this very reason, that you would have Him and believe in Him, and experience His redemption.