IF I HAD A HOLD OF HIM
If I Had A Hold of Him I’d Feel Better
From www.WSBTV.com / April 3, 2008 / MABLETON, Ga.
Since his wife died a few years back Henry Ford Evans, 86, has been eating a lot of his meals at a Mableton Huddle House. Thursday morning he sat next to a well-dressed young man who said he needed help finding a bus that could take him to Atlanta. Evans told the young man he'd take him to a bus stop, and the two left in his pickup. As Evans pulled into a nearby CVS, the young man punched him in the jaw, stuck a gun in his ribs, grabbed $160 and ran off.
Police caught Brandon Terrell Graves, 17, after a foot chase through Mableton neighborhoods, assisted by some passing citizens. Police said Graves will be charged with armed robbery. Evans, still back at the CVS, was sore and upset. "The way the world is, I try to do good deeds," he said. When Channel 2's Ross Cavitt asked Evans if he felt okay, Evans responded, "I feel good. If I had a hold of him, I'd feel better."
I won’t hold it against Mr. Evans for having feelings of vengeance after being assaulted and robbed at gunpoint like he suffered. I probably would want to “get a hold of” the thug and take out a little “righteous indignation” on him myself. The hoodlum certainly needs to be taught a lesson. But I wonder if I’m jumping to conclusions about Mr. Evans? He did say that because of the world’s condition is the reason he tries to do good deeds. And he certainly backed up his words by giving the young man a ride. Yet Mr. Evans found true the cynical saying that “No good deed goes unpunished.” Again, if Mr. Evans did get a hold of the boy and made a couple of punches at his young assailant and landed them right on the nose, I dare say I probably would cheer Mr. Evans on to throw some more punches. But isn’t that just what the world would do? And isn’t that what Mr. Evans observed about this world in which we live that he indicated he doesn’t like? And wouldn’t it be just the opposite of what Mr. Evans had, at least previously, wanted to do?
What if Mr. Evans truly wanted to “get hold of the boy” just like Jesus has “gotten hold” of some of us? Not for vengeance sake, but for redemption’s love and purpose? If ever one had the right for vengeance against this old world and all of us who are living in it, that One is the LORD Jesus. All Jesus ever did when He came into this world was give, serve, minister, labor and sacrifice for us. And what did we do? We crucified Him on a cross. Jesus has every right to take vengeance on you and me and this wicked world in which we live. But He had a different thought in mind, for Scripture teaches us, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8 I’m so glad that when I was a spiritual thug and assaulted the LORD Jesus Christ with my sin that God didn’t take out vengeance on me, but, “...He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 (KJV)
And it “...pleased the LORD to bruise Him!” (Isaiah 53:10) The Father “got a hold of the Son” so He wouldn’t have to “get a hold of me!” And it PLEASED Him! Well, there’s something that wonderfully happened to me one day when the sweet and faithful Holy Sprit placed that truth in my heart. It wasn’t like Jesus was running from the Father, but submitted to Him on my behalf! And when Jesus allowed the Father to “get a hold of Him” to exact the payment for my sin is when Jesus’ demonstration of love “got a hold of me” and this unholy hooligan got saved! Not only did it “please the Father,” but I feel a whole lot better about it, too!
James H. Cook, Jr.
