Tuesday, March 30, 2010

The Box


I typically don’t have any trouble falling asleep. I suppose this stems from the fact that I get up early and go to bed late most evenings. I’m a strange combination of early bird and night owl. Perhaps I have some vampires in my family tree. But I digress.

Monday night was an exception to this rule. After I finished scheduling Monday’s post, I was not in the least bit tired. Instead of my typical go-to (reading a few chapters of whatever book I happen to be reading), I decided to watch a movie I had recorded earlier in the week.



The movie was The Box. The opening of the movie goes like this:
A package is placed on the front doorstep of a house. The wife brings the package to the kitchen table, where her husband opens it while wife and son look on. Inside the package is a box with a large, red button encased in a clear dome. There is a note inside the packaging which states that someone will be by at 5:00 pm the following day to explain the box. A man shows up at the door as promised, and explains to the wife that if she pushes the button, two things will happen—Someone they do not know will die, and the family will receive one million dollars in cash. Of course, the wife needs an expensive operation, the private school she is teaching at will soon discontinue the waiving of tuition for teacher’s children, and the husband’s dream job has fallen through. Oh, and it’s 1976, so a million dollars is actually quite a bit of money. Of course…

At first glance, this particular scenario does not seem like much of a moral dilemma. Accepting money, regardless of amount, in return for causing the death of another person is simply not acceptable in any scenario I could imagine.

But what if the man had said, “If you push the button…

…your mounting debt will be paid in full, but someone else would take on a crushing debt they could not afford to pay, or

...your book will be a critical and commercial success, but an equally talented (or more talented) author will never be published, or

…your struggling ministry will begin to grow and reach the lost, but another church will die, or

…your father’s Alzheimer’s will be cured, but someone else’s father would be stricken it, or

…your child’s disease will be gone, but another child would become sick in her place, or

…your unborn child will be born healthy, but at the expense of the life of another child unborn?

Do any of these scenarios tip the scales?

How about this one?

Your sins—past, present and future will be washed clean as snow, but at the cost of the perfect, unblemished sacrifice; at the cost of the Son of God—the only One without sin.

As we draw closer to the holiest of holidays, I pray we not only understand this sacrifice in our heads, but also in our hearts.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow. That last one...I never saw it like that before. Truly, what a gift.

~*Michelle*~ said...

I'm with L.T. Elliot.

That last one gave me a lump in my throat.

Great thought provoking post!

Cassandra Frear said...

"Truly no man can ransom another,
or give to God the price of his life,
for the ransom of their life is costly
and can never suffice ...

"But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me."

Ps. 49, verses 7,8,15 ESV

HisFireFly said...

This is beautiful Kat..

It never ceases to amaze me and bring me to my knees to think about a love like that...

Lyla Lindquist said...

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us.

Somehow, He found this to be a good trade.

Leaves me on my face every single time. What a compelling illustration you've just given of that very thing.

JML said...

VERY WELL DONE!! I like this post!

Maureen said...

Excellent post, Kathy!

Questions of ethical morality, and so much more: As you say, understanding the sacrifice.

Billy Coffey said...

That's a very thought provoking movie, but I never extended it to the questions you've asked here. Now I'll have to spend all day thinking...

katdish said...

Well don't hurt yourself, Billy.

♥ Kathy said...

Nice post! I was thinking no, no, no, no, oh. Wow!

jasonS said...

Great post. Before I got to the end, I was thinking too that we choose expediency and "easy" at the expense of others all the time (I guess the difference would be, sometimes we don't understand the consequences to others).

So I have to ask, was the movie any good? Is it something I should see?

Helen said...

Very good. I watched the trailer, and thought to myself "NO brainer. Though shalt not kill covers the red button, I'm sure...". But would I have done ANYTHING so my mom could walk? Even jeopardize a strangers mobility? Good question. It's a good thing it was never my choice.

Tina said...

wow, didn't see that coming.

Like Kathy I was all no, no, nope, not ever ....

then bam

His love is so deep, His ways so much higher than our ways .... Oh how I love Him

katdish said...

Jason - It was a good movie. Kinda creepy, but good-creepy.

Sandra Heska King said...

Oh. Wow. You brought that to a level I didn't anticipate.

Anonymous said...

I've been debating watching the movie... now when I do I'll have a whole different perspective to view it from. Great post.