A $1 Felony

Jesus gave Himself for us, and Titus 2:14 reminds us that He did it so...
that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 

We live in a sinful world, born apart from God, needing a Savior to not only save us, but to give us the power to live a holy life, a life that pleases the Holy One.   Recognizing that sins - all sins, no matter how big or small - separate us from God, we fall on our knees before Almighty God in repentance so that the blood of Jesus might be applied and that forgiveness can flow, and we can be free.

Ephesians 4 says:
21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

An East Naples, Florida man faces felony charges because he refused to pay $1 for a soft drink at a local fast food restaurant.   52-year-old Mark Abaire allegedly walked out of the establishment after he filled a water courtesy cup with soda from the fountain machine without paying for the drink.

Abaire then sat outside the restuarant and was confronted by the manager, who asked for payment - but he said no, apparently cursed at him and refused to leave the area.   Seems as if the allure of the soft drinks was too much, and instead of filling his cup with water, Mr. Abaire opted for a soda.   He was charged with petty theft, but then it was discovered he had other convictions, and under Florida's "3 strikes" law, his charge was upgraded to a third-degree felony, which could bring a sentence of 5 years in prison and a $5000 fine. 

And, misdemeanor counts of trespassing and disorderly intoxication were also filed against him.

All this for $1 soda?   This reminded me of our approach to sin - we are called to be holy, and even the smallest sins carry the maximum penalty.   So often, we tend to rank sins - you know, murder, theft, adultery, homosexuality, abortion - those are some of the "big ones".   But Jesus equated murder with anger and adultery with lust, realizing that we possess a heart condition that gives us a propensity toward sin - and we need a Savior in order to deliver us and forgive us - a Savior who paid the maximum penalty for our sins. 

And, the Bible is clear, I believe - all sin is rebellion against God.   So, when we are tempted to think about how bad that armed robbery or a home invasion might be, perhaps we can reflect on filing an incorrect expense report or embellishing a story, or being less than honest when we are called to give an account.    And, when we speak ill of someone else or share information about someone that doesn't need to be shared - well, gossip and slander are counted among the "deeds of the flesh" in Galatians chapter 5.   The point is - we are all sinners, and we need a Savior, who will purify our hearts and who will forgive our sins as we confess them, and place within our hearts a desire to please Him, to truly walk in holiness as He, the Holy One, is holy.    The $1 sins we tolerate carry a high price.