This is a beautiful excerpt form George MacDonald’s, ‘The Shepherd’s Castle’. He captures so completely why Jesus does what is good. The illustration speaks to every age. – I read it to the students at school today and it left them quietly stirred. It’s a precious gift we have been given, to begin to unfold the love our Savior has for us.

“Now, Davie,” said Donal, “what was it I told you last time?”

“That Jesus Christ rose from the dead.”

“What did he die for? Do you know?”

Here Davie had a good answer, though a cut and dried one: “To take away our sins,” he said.

“What are sins, Davie?”

“Bad things, sir.”

“Yes; the bad things we think, and the bad things we feel, and the bad things we do. Have you any sins, Davie?”

“Yes, I am very wicked.”

“How do you know that?”

“Arkie told me.”

“What is being wicked?”

“Doing bad things.”

“What bad things do you do?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

“Then you don’t know you are wicked; you only know that Arkie told you so.”

“I will tell you,” Donal went on, “something you did wicked today.” Davie grew rosy red. “I saw you pull the little pup’s ears till he screamed out. Was that a thing that Jesus would have done when he was a little boy?”

“No, sir.”

“Why?”

“Because it would have been wrong.”

“I suspect, rather, it was because, he would have loved the little pup. He didn’t have to think about it being wrong. He loves every kind of living thing; and he wants to take away your sin because he loves you – not merely to make you not cruel to the little pup, …   Ah, Davie, you cannot do without Jesus, and neither can I. …”

In the beginning, love was the great motivator. 

Peace to you.