"We Buy Ugly Houses"
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Straight to the Cross
COLUMN: Final Phase
"We Buy Ugly Houses"
by J. Randal Matheny
As my son, Joel, and I traveled to Texas recently
to report to churches, we saw in a couple places
along the highway a simple billboard, with a
single phrase followed by a phone number: "We buy
ugly houses."
Why ugly houses? Why not just any house? Maybe
this company specializes in dispatching houses
that have lost their general appeal to home-
owners. I can't really say.
But the phrase suggests a spiritual application.
God specializes in redeeming lost mankind. His
advertising slogan, if we might apply such words
to the divine mission, might be: "We redeem ugly
lives."
Ugly because every human being has become
repugnant to the Lord from welcoming sin and
giving it space. Because the wear and tear of
transgression left us dilapidated. Because we no
longer deserve to take up space in the exclusive
real estate of God's presence.
From space, the earth presents a breathtaking
sight. From heaven, however, the "world" is one
large, polluted segment of the universe in God's
eyes.
That favorite verse of the Bible describes the
ugliness of sin. When John 3:16 says that "God so
loved the world," the connotation behind the word
"world" is dark, sad, bleak, and heavy. The world
describes rebellious and estranged mankind running
from the Creator's blessed purpose.
Paul uses a one-two-three punch to describe how
God redeems ugly lives. In Romans 5, the apostle
to the nations scales the heights of the Father's
love by sounding the depths of man's sin:
- "when we were still powerless" (v. 6)
- "while we were still sinners" (v. 8)
- "when we were God's enemies" (v. 10)
Who would want us in such a state? Why would a
self-sufficient Deity care for such creatures,
after we have royally bunged things up? I can't
really say, but Love with a capital "L" is the
only explanation behind this unbelievable offer,
"We buy ugly lives."
Like the stark billboard offering to buy ugly
houses, God, too, follows his simple revelation of
redemption by a phone number. A means of contact
to take advantage of the offer. A way to receive
the free gift of grace to beautify and restore
what was once perfect.
Faith and obedience. "Trust and obey." A "yes"
answer to accept cleansing, purification,
restoration of an ugly life marred by rejection of
God's greatest gift of himself.
He redeems ugly lives.
Have you called him about that offer?
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