“Old Graves”
The Digger
Who are those that have no graves? Who loves to go around digging up others? Who loves to dig up what has died and been buried long ago? Who sees others’ past sin and throws; stone at them? Who is without sin and loves to dig up others’ buried past? Who won’t let others bury and forget? Who are those that throw the biggest and heaviest stones, and do worse than the ones they are throwing at? Who keeps his shovel sharp for digging? Who searches old buried sin and digs as if looking for treasure? The digger! Why is the digger what he is? Because he has no sin, he says. The law says don’t do this and don’t do that and you do both. But not the digger, for he is perfect, in his way of thinking. I break no law he says to himself. It’s my job because I am perfect and you are not. If you were perfect, I wouldn’t have to throw stones at you. If all the people in the world were perfect we would be at peace. It’s my job to make it perfect. If I expose all sin then you would feel guilt and you wouldn’t do that anymore. Where does the digger get all his wisdom? Why, from the law of course, says Digger?
“Who’s law would that be, says Christian”? “Why the great maker of all the earth”, says Digger.” What does his voice sound like”? Ask Christian. ” Why, he is angry with all the people in the earth. He writes all their sins down in a book, so he can condemn them on the final Day of Judgment”, say Digger. “But Jesus is not angry with the people of the world. He came to forgive and bury our past sins and remembers them no more”, says Christian. “Not so, says Digger, he will keep all your sins in a book”. “The voice you are listening to is not the same one I hear, says Christian. The one I’m listening too says,” Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. The one you are listening to is harsh, angry, and exposes past sin. The one I listen to says, I came to forgive sin and remember them no more”.” When I dig up this next grave I’ll show you, says Digger”.
“I am like Jesus also, says Christian; I don’t want to see past sins either. That’s why we bury them, out of sight and we remember them no more”. Digger responds sharply, “But all men need a heavy burden to make them do right, that’s my job”.” The voice you hear sees your sin also Digger, if that is true. Digging up sin is your sin-burden; it must be very heavy”, says Christian. “It is very hard and heavy and at times I don’t think I can go on”, says Digger. Christian responds,” You have been listening to the wrong voice. You have been lead to believe by digging up old graves of past sin, you are helping people, but by doing so, all that past sin is coming back on your own head. It’s weighting you down with an ever heavy burden. Your knees are about to buckle under the load”. “Do you mean that is why I feel so tired and dreary all the time,” says Digger.” Do you see now, says Christian, the more sin in others you expose, the worse you feel? Your digging was heaping sin on you. You were deceived by the voices you were listening to; it was not the voice of Jesus, the forgiver of sin”. “I am sorry”, says Digger, “Would the forgiver of sin forgive someone like me, for digging up everyone else’s sins except my own”? “Why certainly,” says Christian. “Your sins are no worse than any other persons. Forgiveness covers all sin. The forgiver is no respecter of persons”.
David McClary
avoicefromthemountain.com