While We Were Yet Enemies
The Scripture: Romans 5:7-11 (KJV)
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement."
The Story: The Guard of the High Ridge
Elias was the Lead Ranger of a dangerous mountain pass. He spent his days keeping the trails safe and his nights warning travelers about the "Black Sector"—a part of the forest so dry that the grass felt like paper. He had signs posted everywhere: NO CAMPFIRES. EXTREME DANGER.
One afternoon, a group of young hikers arrived. They were loud and arrogant. When Elias warned them to stay on the main trail and follow the safety rules, they laughed. One of them stepped forward, grabbed Elias’s map right out of his hand, and tore it into pieces. He threw the scraps at Elias’s feet and sneered, "We don’t need an old man telling us how to have fun." They turned their backs on him and headed straight into the heart of the Black Sector.
To prove they didn't care about his warnings, they gathered the driest wood they could find and built a massive, roaring fire to cook their dinner. They laughed about "the grumpy ranger" as they tossed sparks into the air.
Within minutes, a stray ember landed in the brush. The forest didn’t just catch fire; it exploded. The hikers panicked, but it was too late—the flames surrounded them, fueled by their own pride.
From his watchtower, Elias saw the smoke. He knew exactly what had happened. These weren't victims of an accident; they were the cause of the destruction. They had destroyed the forest he loved, and they had insulted him to his face while doing it.
But Elias didn’t stay in the tower.
He grabbed his heavy gear and ran toward the heat. He found them trapped against a cliffside, terrified and choking. They were huddled together, knowing that their own fire was about to consume them. When they saw Elias, they were ashamed. They expected him to yell, or to leave them to the fire they had started.
Instead, Elias acted quickly. He took off his own oxygen mask and placed it on the hiker who had torn the map. He gave his fire-resistant shelter—a small, silver tent—to the group. He shoved them all inside, sealing the edges to protect them from the wall of flames.
There wasn't enough room for Elias. He stayed outside, shielding the tent with his own body as the heat became unbearable.
The next morning, the hikers crawled out of the tent. The forest was charred, but they were alive. Elias was gone. He had given his life to save the very people who had treated him like an enemy.
Relating the Parable to the Passage
- The Rare Sacrifice (v. 7): Most people would die for a friend or a hero. Elias died for people who had just insulted him and torn up his map.
- While We Were Yet Sinners (v. 8): Elias didn't wait for the fire to go out or for the hikers to apologize. He ran into the woods while they were still in the middle of their rebellion.
- Saved from Wrath (v. 9): The fire was the natural consequence (the "wrath") of the hikers' choices. Elias stood between them and the fire so they wouldn't have to face it.
- Reconciled Enemies (v. 10): The hikers didn't just get a "get out of jail free" card; they were brought back to safety by the very person they had made their enemy.
The Moral
The moral of the story is that God’s love is not a reward for good behavior; it is a rescue for the rebellious. We often think we have to "clean ourselves up" or "put out our own fires" before God will help us. But Romans 5 tells us that the Ranger has already left the tower. He didn't come because we were doing a great job; He came because we were trapped in a fire of our own making. We are saved not because of our own directions, but because of the One who gave everything to shield us.
