The Train of Salvation Stops for Sinners

Today is All Saints Day, in honor of saints known and unknown. In light of this, I’ve been thinking about my family tree. On my dad’s side of the family, his father (my grandfather) was an engineer for Union Pacific Railroad. He and my grandmother raised nine children in a three bed-room home in Southern California. Very modest circumstances, but not untypical for parents of their generation. I didn’t know him that well. Even so, he was a model of self-sacrifice for his family.

He lead a quiet life, minding his own business, and “working with his hands.” He was a  1^st Thessalonians 4:11 kind of guy.

I can only imagine what he would think and say if he was alive to spend a day or two in 2019.

In today’s world of selfie fixation, bitter and rank communication, and excessive screen time, I can hear him say:

“What the hell? Don’t these people have jobs to get to?”

Grandpa, the world has changed.

He was a man who enjoyed simple pleasures, his family, and routine. He was a man of few words, a hard worker. I never heard him complain.  I don’t think he thought much about being a “standout” in his job. His passion wasn’t climbing some kind of corporate ladder or making a name for himself. He simply wanted to make sure that the train he was responsible for was running safely, was on time, and serving all passengers under his care.

His last days were spent in a retirement home. His room was right next to the railroad tracks. Perfect for him. He’d pull out his pocket watch to make sure the trains were running on time. It was in his blood.

As proud as I am of him, my inclusion and his in our family tree is not based on behavior or morality. 

When you think about your own family tree, is there a descriptive word that comes to mind? How about godly, devout, pious, or holy? Maybe, and maybe not. Or, how about a word or phrase like scandalous, dysfunctional, morally confused, ethically challenged? If we’re honest, we have family members in both categories with the weight landing more in the second category. But that’s OK. We’re in good company when we consider Jesus’s family tree.  

Jesus’s family tree is found in Matthew and Luke. It’s populated by dysfunctional and crazy men and women, literally. Men and women who were guilty of more than “popcorn sins,” sins that can’t be excused with the bromide, “Nobody is perfect, you know.”

Here’s just a sampling of members that make up Christ’s ancestry: 

 Tamar- posed as a sex worker, impregnated by Judah

Rahab- a sex worker

Ruth- a Moabite, a member of the tribe descended from Moab. Moab was the son of Lot who was born from an incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter.

Ahaz- As king, he practiced divination, sorcery and regularly consulted mediums and psychics.

Judah- He impregnated his daughter-in-law thinking she was simply a prostitute.

David- When king, he committed murder and adultery.

Manasseh- As king, he led the country in pagan worship, even sacrificing his son to Molech.

Why is all this dysfunction out in the open for us to read and see? Why all the dirt? Is this TMI? Some Christian book publishers think so, so the stories of these characters are cleaned up and sanitized. Their sins are  suppressed or simply ignored or retold in such a way as to fit the Bible character as hero narrative. I think, though, that the dysfunction and sin for all of us to read is there for one primary reason- to help drive home the point that inclusion in God’s family is on the basis of grace and grace alone. That’s good news for all of us.

I like the way Cary Schwarz (link to his site which is https://caryschwarz.com/portfolio/) put it recently when he wrote,

“Therefore, our glory is Christ’s cross and our hope is His forgiveness, not His applause.” Christ is the hero of every story, not us.

Can God bring something good out our families in spite of the messiness? The answer is more than simply “yes.” It’s the only way God works.

In 1^st Peter we read that the angels long to look into the process of salvation, to learn about it. I wonder if there were conversations between angels, one angel talking to another saying something like,

“That’s it, that’s really the plan?” Jesus dying on a cross, crucified between two outlaws, taking on the sins of the world, and then using broken and troubled people to tell others the good news that it’s not about what we do or don’t do that gets us into the family. It’s about what Christ has done, and simply trusting that message.

Now I’m not saying that it doesn’t matter what we do or don’t do. What we do does matter to our spouse, family members, parents, neighbors, our employer, etc. It just doesn’t matter to God, because the “doing has been done.” We simply need to be quiet, sit down, and enjoy the ride.

My grandfather’s chief concern was making sure his train ran safely and on time, picking up and dropping off his passengers. That was his job. As I thought about it, his train was accessible to everyone, stopping for all, serving all. Likewise, God’s train of salvation stops for “saints” and sinners. His train of salvation stops for you and me. And, that’s good news!

Thanks for reading!

Curt Bumcrot, MRE

Yesterday I met with my oncologist to review the results of my most recent labs and tests. The results were mixed so here’s how you can pray. I will be making a decision regarding post stem cell transplant treatment. One option is some form of chemotherapy to support the degree of remission I have reached. Another option is to simply do periodic lab work, watch my numbers, and only intervene if they start to go into the wrong direction. Due to the complexity of my case, it will be reviewed by a group of oncologists later this month. I’m considering heading back to Mayo for an additional opinion. Please pray for Jenny and me as we consider our options.