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This dramatic picture, taken from the BBC Sport website, is of Alistair
Brownlee helping his brother Jonny over the finish line in the final triathlon
event of the season in Mexico. In spite of his supreme effort to win the event
Jonny Brownlee had run out of strength at the critical point of the race. Out
in front, with the finish line not too far off, he was close to collapse.
Seeing his plight, his brother took him and urged and almost carried him
towards the finish. It was a tremendous gesture of affection between brothers
but meant that someone else won the race.
In our last blog we pointed out the folly of thinking that we can earn
our place in heaven by our own endeavours. If we were either of the Brownlee
brothers then we might expect to earn a gold medal at the Olympics by our own
efforts. Equally, we might expect to finish first in the World event. Their innate
abilities and rigid training regimes can ensure that. However, in respect to
heaven and blessing, it is not a matter of our own effort and endeavour. What
struck me about the picture and the story was the selfless effort of one
brother for another to get him across the finish line. This is true family
affection. What would we be prepared to do for a family member that we love?
One thing the Bible says is this: ‘None of them can
by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him’.[1]
Many of us would like to do things for our
brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, or other close relatives. Some have
donated kidneys, or bone marrow to offer life to a relative who is critically
ill. Some have given money to pay for treatments, to relieve poverty or debt,
or to bring joy to a relative in a difficult place. What we cannot do is secure
their salvation. Salvation is a personal matter. It is something that we can
only do for ourselves. Personal faith in Jesus Christ is the only means of
blessing. If we want our sins forgiven, our follies and faults removed, then we
have to come God’s way – by the way of the cross. We have to acknowledge that
we have been, and have done, wrong in the sight of God but we are now trusting
in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary. This is something that
only you can do. Will you?
[1] Psalm 49 verse 7
