After Luke surrenders to the Empire on Endor, he and Darth Vader talk in the hallway of the Empire’s base.
Luke senses the conflict within Vader and pleads with him, “let go of your hate.” Vader could not, or would not, believe that he was redeemable and replied, “It is too late for me, son. The Emperor will show you the true nature of the Force. He is your master now.”
Are we like Luke and believe that anyone is redeemable?
Or do we believe, like Vader did, that some people are too far gone to be redeemed by Jesus?
We know that God loves the whole world (John 3:16).
According to 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
As long as a person has breathe in their nostrils, they can come to repentance as 2 Corinthians 6:2b commands, “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
What are we willing to do about it? Are we willing to be like Luke and walk into a dangerous situation to reach someone that is in need of salvation?
What about talking to a neighbor or a friend? That is not nearly as dangerous but may seem equally undesirable.
Why?
In Matthew 10:28a, Jesus warns His disciples, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Then, in verses 32-33, Jesus teaches, “So everyone who acknowledges Me before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Take heart that Jesus also said in Luke 12:11b-12, “do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”
