When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court.
The judge asked, “Guilty, or not guilty?” When Graham pleaded guilty, the judge replied, “That’ll be ten dollars — a dollar for every mile you went over the limit.”
Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister. “You have violated the law,” he said. “The fine must be paid–but I am going to pay it for you.” He took a ten dollar bill from his own wallet, attached it to the ticket, and then took Graham out and bought him a steak dinner! “That,” said Billy Graham, “is how God treats repentant sinners!”
–Used in this morning’s sermon by yours truly
Great, but did Graham admit his quilt or his guilt? 😉
A wonderful story.
A much-repeated story in books of sermon illustrations that trace its origin to an item in Progress magazine in 1992. (Enter “Progress magazine” and “Billy Graham” in a Google search box; include the quotes.)
Good illustration, but the story itself =may= be apocryphal. Once BG became famous enough to be recognized, he rarely was behind the wheel himself.
w.w.
Doesn’t have a patch on my quilt!
Actually, that strikes me as not a terribly good story to use in Christian ministry. The key problem is the line “Suddenly the judge recognized the famous minister.” It’s a good story if Christianity is about God forgiving those of us He recognizes as Basically Good people who have in other respects stored up a counterbalancing fund of Good Works (i.e. Billy’s well known and truly saintly history of godly behaviour). It’s a bad story if Christianity is about God in relation with those He recognizes as terrible sinners who bring absolutely nothing to the table to make them worth forgiving — and who forgives them anyway.
Agreeing with KH+ :
“…how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask.” (from the end of yesterday’s Gospel of Luke reading)
What sinners…even BG…need is the Grace of God the Father, through Jesus His Son, with the power of the Holy Spirit! And, that is what the Lord gives every sinner…worldly famous or not! Paying our sin debt and giving us, in the Greatest & Sweetest Exchange ever made, the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia! What a Savior!!!