The Payment for the Parts

by Jonathan Spurlock
(Holts Summit, MO)

One of the worst things that happens to anybody is a car accident. This happened to one of my sons not long ago. He was okay, just a few bruises, but the car was totaled. Not good.

A day or so after the accident, he and I went to the garage where the car had been towed. We took turns removing his personal items and other things from the interior and the trunk. We sure didn’t want to leave anything valuable or other personal items in the car to be smashed or whatever happens to wrecked cars!

Looking in the trunk, I asked him what he wanted to do with a few used parts that they had kept in the trunk. Why they did this, I don’t know, but they were still in the trunk. I asked if they had any plans for these old parts and he replied, no, they didn’t want them.

So, I called a recycling center and asked if they bought old auto parts. I heard a very enthusiastic “Yes!” on the line and thought, maybe I can get a little money for the church. Honest, I had no intention of keeping the proceeds for myself.

Off to the recycling center, then! I drove up to the door, carried the parts in (a broken CVCC joint, whatever that is, plus an old motor mount, and a Z-shaped wrench, maybe to turn a scissors jack. I placed them on the scales and heard the service rep mumble something, then accepted the sales slip he gave me. My son, by the way, had also given me a few plastic grocery bags filled with aluminum soft drink cans. They also made their way, courtesy of yours truly, to the scales and I accepted the second sales slip from the rep.

To my surprise, the metal auto parts were much heavier (to me, anyway) and were only worth a whopping 80 cents. The cans, only about 3 pounds worth, gave me almost 2 dollars! Shaking my head in amazement, I said thanks to the cashier and went back home, preparing the cash for next Sunday’s offering.

I still shake my head about the vast difference between what the parts cost—what you or I would pay at an auto parts store—and the salvage value. A motor mount alone must cost a good bit of money (batteries alone average over $100 apiece!), let alone an entire CVCC joint (whatever that is). It reminds me of the wages of sin: sin, that costs so much, in terms of broken promises, broken relationships, lies, and who knows what else; and the promise of nothing but everlasting separation from God in Hell. Romans 6:23 says it so well: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (NASB).”

I received payment for the parts which I turned into the recycling center. A fraction of their value, certainly, but at least there was a little value for these rather useless items. But when it comes to your soul, the part of you that never dies, tell me, is it worth the wages of sin—namely, death—to continue in that way of life? We can have everlasting life, free for the asking, by simply asking Jesus Christ to be Savior and Lord of our lives.

Who will repay you some day?

Scripture quotations are taken from the NASB. http://www.lockman.org