“OH WORLD ! LET CHRIST THE SAVIOUR BE YOURS !”
GOSPEL READING : John 3. 16-21

On a certain island in the Indian Ocean lived a poor man named Taabu (which means suffering in Swahili). Taabu had been condemned unjustly to life imprisonment by the king. It is said that this man was extremely poor, really starving with his four children family which he was no longer able to feed. Consequently, Taabu decided to go and try to steal a banana bunch from a rich man’s plantation. While standing thinking in a bush near the plantation, he was unfortunately seen and caught by the guards who had been appointed to watch on the property. He was immediately taken to the boss who was still very angry since he had recently lost his three dairy cows and his beloved sheepdog killed during a robbery.

So the rich man took Taabu to the kings’ court for judgement and he was condemned to amputation of his right hand and to life imprisonment.
Ten years later, the king died and his elder son came to power. Pressed by the rich man, the young monarch decided that Taabu’s case should be heard again in court. So, this time, Taabu was condemned to capital punishment along with other criminals and all had to be hanged the next day. Early in the morning as people were gathering at the execution site, they found a man hanged on a tree with the following writings on it : “Please, release Taabu, he is innocent, I am paying for his condemnation!”

As the king and the other high authorities arrived, Taabu and the other criminals were already brought there handcuffed. But suddenly, the king saw very far a man hanged on a wood and wanted to know what had happened exactly. So, he sent one of his guards to check and report back to him immediately. When the guard came back he had the following to say : “Your majesty the king, live forever! I found nothing else to be reported to you except these moving words I saw written on the wood where that man is hanged saying, PLEASE, RELEASE TAABU, HE IS INNOCENT, I AM PAYING FOR HIS CONDEMNATION”. And near the tree I met someone who has just told me he is the hanged man’s brother and that yesterday night before his suicide, he told his wife and the people at home that he was one of the rich man’s guards who had caught Taabu near the plantation and had made him unjustly condemned in order to calm their boss’s anger after he had lost his cows and dog.”

Therefore, the king understood the big error his late father had made in condemning unjustly Taabu and decided to set him free and commanded his servants to bring Taabu at his court where he was given a very nice house and everything. But three months later, the king’s servants reported the following to him: “Your Majesty, live forever ! The man you have set free and brought to live here does not at all spend his nights in the house you granted him. Every night, he leaves the house and goes back to his detention site among the other criminals, because, as he says, he believes that one day another king will come to rule this country and then condemn him again to imprisonment or to capital punishment! He even does not eat your food!”

As the king heard this report, he knelt and lifting his right hand he said: “May the gods of all times forgive my father for having caused so much trouble to Taabu, and may their anger be away from me and my family!”. And the same night, he drank a virulent poison that was normally used to kill traitors and he died.

OH WORLD ! LET CHRIST THE SAVIOUR BE YOURS ! This very truth I love so much about Him was prophesied by Isaiah saying :
“Surely He took up our infirmities and
Carried our sorrows,
Yet we consider Him stricken by God,
Smitten by Him, and afflicted.
But He was pierced for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The punishment that brought us PEACE was upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5, NIV).

So, let us together rejoice, FOR CHRIST THE SAVIOUR IS OURS and no more condemnation is upon us Since we have believed in Him. HE NEVER CHANGES !

In Christ’s love

Bishop, Dr. Justin Baransananikiye
President,
CHRISTIANS STRENGTHENING CHRISTIANS,
http://iprayforyou.worthyofpraise.org
http://christiansstrengtheningchristian.doodlekit.com/blog
Email : baransajust@gmail.com