PAID IN FULL

by Dr.

Breath Prayer Part Deux

by Rev. Chris McLain, Pastor of Caring and Adults 55+ Ministry

“Jesus Christ, Son of God. Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

If I asked you to recall some of the happiest moments of your life, what memories would you share? Would it be your “growing up years” in the house where the smell of baked cookies or cakes seemed to fill the air in those special seasons? Maybe your high school years or even the day you got married? Or who can forget the times when children or grandchildren were brought into the world, and you got to hold that baby for the very first time?

All of us have those special moments and memories that stand out from our past, and even though one of my most unforgettable celebrations may seem odd to some, it still ranks high on my list. It was the day I received a telegram from the Board of Higher Education of the Methodist Church informing me that all my student loans — the money I had borrowed to pay my way through college and seminary — had been fully repaid! All that week I restlessly awaited the official letter, and when it arrived, there were three of the most beautiful words I had ever seen: PAID IN FULL!

I share that memory with you today because as wonderful as that moment was, it becomes pale in comparison when you consider the three words that the angels pronounced on that first Easter Sunday: “HE IS RISEN!” When God brought Jesus out of the tomb on that glorious day, death itself was swallowed up in victory. Never was there an event like this. It was the very first time that good news had come from a graveyard, and from that day forward, life and eternal life have taken on a new meaning.

But wait, my story doesn’t end there. Over the course of my life, I have discovered that what happened on that resurrection morning has a direct connection with what took place the day I received my letter informing me that my debt had been eliminated.

It was when I came to realize that “paid in full” has the same meaning as “He is risen.” The reason why is because with His death and resurrection, Jesus sent a clear message for all eternity that says the cost of our sins has been paid, and we no longer need to fear the sting of death because He has conquered it! Hallelujah!

Prayer

As we enter into Holy Week, I hope you are going to attend a Maundy Thursday or Good Friday Service. We know that prayer is communication with God. Sometimes we speak out of pain or grief, other times we proclaim sighs of relief. One of the things I have never thought about is as the disciples were walking alongside Jesus, The Word made flesh, they were actually praying each time they interacted with Jesus. That threw me for a loop this week, and made me think of the breath prayer that is uttered at the Passover Table when Jesus looks at His disciples and says that one of them will betray Him.

They ask a question that we would ask as well — “Is it I?” I often ask myself the same question. Could I, in the presence of God, and having walked with Jesus for two and a half years, betray Jesus? What if the breath prayer in that moment was “Is it I? Could it possibly be me?” Then, like the disciples through Good Friday and the darkness of Holy Saturday, I am no longer saying, “Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.” Instead, I am saying under my breath, breathing in and out:

“Is it I? Could it possibly be me?”

“Is it I? Could it possibly be me?”

“Is it I? Could it possibly be me?”

Is it I — who betrayed You, who condemned You, who put You on the cross?

Could it possibly me — who could receive Your attention, who could receive Your favor, who could receive Your grace?

And it’s in that moment where we realize that Jesus Christ, Son of God, has chosen, of His own free will, to have mercy on me, a sinner.