Fiorella LaGuardia was a long-time mayor of New York City. He was as colorful a mayor as ever they had. He would ride on fire trucks and go along on police raids. In fact, he was likely to show up anywhere in the city doing almost anything. Once he decided to serve as presiding judge in night court. An elderly lady was brought in for allegedly stealing a loaf of bread. Her defense was that her daughter had been deserted by her husband and was sick at home, unable to work. The woman's two grandchildren were living with her, as well. Having nothing to eat and no way of getting money to buy any food (it was during the depression), she stole the loaf of bread to feed her starving family. Mayor LaGuardia ordered that she pay a $10 fine or spend ten days in jail. Then he pulled $10 from his pocket and paid the fine. He then said, "The debt for the crime is paid. I am also fining everyone in the courtroom fifty cents for allowing this woman and her grandchildren to go hungry." It was reported that about $50 was collected, some even from the now very embarrassed store owner who had brought the charges of theft against the woman.

Well, Mayor LaGuardia understood something about grace, didn't he? He knew the debt for the crime had to be paid; but, at the same time, he knew that grace could be extended by the court, which would satisfy both the integrity of the law and the need of the woman.

Isn't this how God, by His grace, has treated us? He demanded that the debt for sin be paid, and so, He gave His Son's life as its payment. Then, on the basis of the debt having been discharged, He forgave us our sins when we obeyed Him in gospel obedience. By so doing, both the terms of the law were satisfied and our need for forgiveness was met. The song is right: "He paid a debt He did not owe; I owed a debt I could not pay." Paul said it most eloquently when he wrote, "by grace you have been saved." - (Eph. 2:5).

Lonnie Ritchie
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