By: Joel Ramirez
As a child, one of my favorite things to do on a weekday was to sit with my mother and watch The Price is Right. How we longed to hear those words “Come on down” signaling another contestant would have a chance at winning a whole slew of great prizes. One of the best things about the show was seeing how excited people were at hearing their names before that phrase. Some people would jump all the way down to the front of the stage while some would cry in disbelief. But I never saw anyone slowly stand up with regret in their eyes and slowly take that walk to the contestant’s row. Let us now fast forward to a scene of me at the age of 12. Baseball season was starting soon and I had received a baseball of my own. I had no kids my own age to practice with so I was forced to find different ways of practicing my pitch. Ideally, I would have had a catcher to receive my pitches. This would be followed up by the option of if there was no catcher perhaps a tree I could draw a circle on to gauge my pitching accuracy. Alas, I grew up in the panhandle of Texas and trees were almost as rare as catchers. So I was left with practicing against the side of the house. There were many issues with this but as I soon discovered, the biggest was that my aim was not true and windows are like magnets for baseballs. I waited to see my mother or father come shooting off the porch after that poorly aimed throw but no one came. Now I was left with the long walk into the house to alert my parents to the parody of my short-lived career as a baseball pitcher. I was not like one of those contestants overjoyed to be called on down, jumping for joy at the stern speech and most likely physical correction I was about to receive. But, what if I had an advocate? What if I had someone to vouch for me and would tell my parents that they accepted the fault of my actions and would gladly pay for the repair of the window? What if all of the fellow aspiring pitchers came to join me on that walk to show their support and share their stories of broken glass and bad aims? I have to tell my parents the window is broken and there is no way around this. The options are limited for a 12-year-old aspiring pitcher with a terrible aim of running off and joining the major leagues. I still would not be overjoyed to make that walk but I would be much more comfortable in the support given. Every time someone takes to the pulpit we are afforded the opportunity at the end of the lesson to “come on down” and take advantage of the resources available. The first and greatest resource is to the soul who is not a Christian to bury that man of sin with Christ in the watery grave which is baptism. This is one of the truly most beautiful sights to behold and there is always a collective pause by all of God’s children in anticipation to see someone make that walk. But for the Christian, there is also the offer of resources to us in the opportunity to confess our sins and also to ask for the prayers of the congregation. What a tremendous opportunity this is. I wonder what it is about that walk that makes it so difficult. Why is it that we do not take advantage of the opportunity more often? The first reason I can think of is that no one has sinned and there is no need for forgiveness so there is no reason to make that walk. The First Epistle of John, which mind you is written to Christians, says “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He (God) is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”, 1:8-9. So, to say we have no sin cannot be justified and furthermore we are called to confess our sins. Let me also point out here how appropriate that the phrase “deceive ourselves” is used when we know that Satan is the father of deception. Maybe the reason we forfeit that resource is that we feel we are making that walk on our own. John says in the same epistle “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world”, 2:1-2. What a powerful image is drawn in the mind to think of making that walk with Jesus by your side at the ready to be your advocate. Any walk-in righteousness holds the same boldness and strength of having the Holy Son there to support you. Maybe we are concerned that we are surrounded by those who will not support us. John continues “We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brethren” and “By this, we know love because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but indeed and in truth” 3:14, 16-18. Now we see that those we worship with and call brethren are the ones who would lay down their very own lives for us and are also called to serve each other. The outpouring of love and support is always there by your brethren. Now, I am at a loss to come up with any other reason for us not to seek these opportunities. Can you find another reason? There is not one of us who has not fallen short of the glory of God and who has not had to face difficulties in life. This is something we all deal with on a daily basis. Now, consider what being together every time we worship provides for us. We come together in holy communion to worship our God who blesses us so abundantly and we do so with brethren who love us and would lay down their lives for us. We are given the opportunity to confess our sins one to another and to our God. We have Jesus as an advocate before God and we have the prayers and love of our righteous brethren. All this combined is far more than any showcase showdown ever offered on The Price is Right. So, shouldn’t we be jumping for joy with tears of gladness at the great fortune offered to us? Is there anything hindering that walk that cannot be overcome? Dear Christian, come on down!