I Can't Put the Tomato Back on The Vine

Being a father is a great adventure. After years of hearing stories from my mother about the things I did as a toddler, it is fun to call her and let her know about the latest escapades of her grandson. Our oldest is about a year and a half old and his antics are prone to cause us to laugh- or cry- or both. Instead of just saying dog, he barks out the word. If he sees bare feet, he is inclined to run his fingers over them while exclaiming, “ticky, ticky, ticky!” He also likes to explore. His latest exploration involved finding out exactly what was in his dresser drawers and that involved emptying all the clothes and scattering them throughout the nursery.
-
He loves to go outside and help Daddy in the garden. He also loves to eat. We are pleased that he likes fresh vegetables and considers it a treat to nibble the fruits of our labor as Daddy works. It did not take long for those bright red tomatoes to catch his eye. Some of the earliest ones we had were also the smallest. Just perfect for a little guy to have his own personal treat. After letting him have one, he decided to pick his own. This one was orange and not quite ready.
-
He has been trained to put things back when we tell him to, so when Daddy said, “Oh no, Jared, that one isn’t ready yet,” he simply took it back to a vine, and held it up. He was trying to put it back. I had to try to keep from laughing as I explained that once it was picked it was too late to put it back.
-
What Jared did was really not all that serious. A few days on the window sill and that tomato would be just fine to eat, but I recall that there were many times that I wished I could just go back and undo something but now it is too late. For example, I said something thoughtless to my wife last week. I immediately knew that it hurt her feelings and I apologized. My wife is a wonderful lady and she forgave me, but I wish I could have just undone it like Jared wished he could put a tomato back on the vine.
-
Some of our regrets are heavier to bear. I heard of a couple of instances recently of a driver who ran a stop sign and another person was killed. I do not envy the burden of wanting to be able to put that tomato back on the vine.
-
When facing such a burden we must realize the importance of repentance and forgiveness. First let us realize that things we regret are sometimes simply accidents, and other times they are caused by sinful actions. A drunk or someone who is in a hurry and selfishly runs a stop sign has sinned. A person who is unfamiliar with a road and does not see the stop sign during a snow storm was simply involved in an accident.
-
Even if there was no sin involved, we still feel better after expressing our regret and making restitution if possible. What if our irreversible action was caused by sin? Lets face it, we have all done irreversible actions of sin. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Whether you consider your sins big or little, they are all serious in God’s eyes. We must be reminded that none of us measures up to His standards. Consider even man‘s inability to keep the 10 commandments. “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” (James 2:10)
-
We have a sin problem and we cannot undo it. That is serious. How serious is it? Deathly serious. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). We cannot undo our own sin any more than Jared could put that tomato back on the vine. Do you think that Jesus Christ could put that tomato back on the vine though? Of course He could. He is God! You cannot reverse your sins and neither can I but Jesus Christ can. In fact, He is the only one who can. Acts 4:12 tells us, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
-
Remember how serious sin is. Jesus died to pay for that sin. He is able to do it all by Himself because He is God. He testified in John 14:9, “he that hath seen me hath seen the father.” Then we clearly read in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
-
So what do you do when you cannot put a tomato back on the vine? You trust Jesus Christ and His payment for sin, realizing that no matter how small your sin is, you cannot undo it or even make up for it no matter how much restitution you pay, because the wages is death. But if you realize that Christ paid it all and trust Him, your receive His gift. Romans 5:20 also gives us further encouragement, “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.”