THE GREAT TRANSFER
Back in 1891, Robert Louis Stevenson, author
of such literary classics as “Kidnapped” and “
This particular friend, Henry
Ide, once joked that Christmas was not the happiest
day of the year in his household. This was because his fourteen-year-old daughter,
Annie, had been born on Christmas, and she always complained that she got cheated
out of a separate birthday party.
So Stevenson came up with the idea of giving
away his birthday. He drew up a legal document transferring all the "rights and
privileges" of his birthday, which fell on November 13th, to Miss Annie H.
Ide. From that day forward, Annie celebrated her birthday
on November 13th.
I imagine that Robert Louis
Stevenson was inspired by things he read in the Bible, where we find a variation
on the same plot.
In his letter to the Galatians,
Paul wrote: “But when the time had fully
come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law,
that we might receive the full rights of sons.”
The Son of God became human
in order to transfer us to the very real status of his own brothers and sisters.
He took our unrighteousness on himself and clothed us with his righteousness. But
unlike author Stevenson’s gift to Annie Ide, this was
not a spur of the moment idea.
As we read in Ephesians, it was God’s plan from before
the creation of the world.
“For he [God the
Father] chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless
in his sight. In love he predestined us to
be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and
will—….”
Robert Louis Stevenson’s notion
of transferring his birthday rights and privileges to another is precisely what
Jesus has done for us.
In Jesus Christ, our sins are
forgiven, our hearts are made new, and we are included in the life he shares with
the Father and the Spirit.
God’s almighty word of love
and inclusion for you is as certain as the sunrise. It’s his precious gift to you,
and nothing can ever take it away.
Joseph Tkach