Jeremiah 2:22 “‘Although you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me,’ declares the Lord God.”

GREEN TOMATOES

When I was growing up in Southwest Georgia I would work in my uncle’s and cousin’s tobacco fields during the summer.  That was hard, hot work.  I can’t even begin to tell you how hot it was.  But one of the worse parts of working in the tobacco fields was how dirty you got.

Early in the morning, when the dew was still on the tobacco leaves, the tar from those leaves (which you couldn’t see) would stick to your hands, skin, hair and clothes.  I remember trying to wash my hands for lunch.  They were stained with that a brown, almost black, sticky tar.  Soap didn’t work.  The only thing we found to cut that tar was a green tomato.  Yep.  We would slice one open and rub our hands with it.  It would somehow cut through that tar.

TEACHING MOMENT

I bet it won’t be long before little Johnny or Gertrude comes in the door from playing and will need a good scrubbing.  Sometimes their play can get them real dirty.  Sometimes they can stain their clothes beyond getting them clean.  What a perfect time to talk about this verse.  Our sins have stained us. Our rebellion against a Holy God must be washed away.  But there is no amount of Clorox or Shout (or green tomatoes) that is going to do the job.  There is only one cleanser – the shed blood of Jesus.

We have the opportunity to explain how His blood has the cleansing power over sin.  His blood removes the stain of sin in our lives.  His blood never loses its power.  His blood never runs out.  It is the perfect (and I mean perfect) cleansing tool for our spirits.  Hallelujah!

Are you walking around with stains?  You may be a believer, but you haven’t confessed those sins yet.  The beauty of salvation is that your sins are already forgiven because of that powerful blood.  But you do have to confess them.  You do have to ask for forgiveness.  Sin happens.  We shouldn’t choose it, but it does.  But rest assured that when you do, you can have that stain removed quickly through the blood of Jesus.

Father, I do not deserve the grace and mercy You show me.  But I am thankful for the blood of Your Son, Jesus, Who cleansed me through His blood.  Forgive me today, Lord.