Years ago a story was written by Ted Hughes about an Iron Giant. He was a great beast of a creature, and he could reach down and crush anything within his reach.
Yet, the Iron Giant only wanted to do good things for others. Even as he tried to help those around him, they misread his intentions and screamed their message of hate toward him. A boy was the Iron Giant’s only friend, the one person who tried with all his heart to help the Giant.
It was only in the final moments of his life that the Iron Giant’s good intentions became clear to the rest of the world. In an act of selflessness, he was destroyed in a fiery explosion, and in his sacrifice, he proved his love for mankind.
The world did not know he would rise again, for the Iron Giant could not be killed.
Jesus compared himself to the Iron Giant in one of his parables. Of course, it is obvious that the story of the Iron Giant wasn’t written until long after Jesus’ day, but the comparison still rings true. Jesus was the Giant, and the people of the earth hated him for who he was. It was only in his supreme sacrifice that they saw through their hatred and found his love.
The Iron Giant Jesus used in his parable in Luke 19:12-27 was a certain nobleman who went into a far country to receive a kingdom. The nobleman had a fist of iron, for he was all powerful. He demanded much of his subjects. The people cried out their hatred, sending the nobleman messages of rejection, screaming their vile words at him as he passed by.
The nobleman returned, as Jesus will one day come again. He called unto his people to prove what they had done to manage his estates while he was gone. Those who had done little got little in return. Those who had done much got much in return. For those who had rudely rejected the nobleman’s power over them, they were destroyed.
The nobleman is Jesus. He has gone away, leaving us to manage his kingdom. If we do well, we will receive great rewards. If we are lazy, well, we can’t expect much. If we hate the Iron Giant who commands all the power, then we hate Jesus, and we will be destroyed with the sinners and the wicked who do not desire to follow Christ.
It is the Christian who befriends Jesus and works to his benefit that has nothing to fear from Jesus’ mighty fist of iron. One day the whole world will understand Jesus’ sacrifice. Then they will know Jesus’ love came to benefit all mankind.
When we draw close to Jesus, we find love within his fist of iron, for he is ready to protect us from whatever evil comes our way.
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