The Sunday Sermonette: Erased.

     Joseph Stalin. The name alone conjures evil. And evil he was. Stalin ruled Russia for twenty-five years, instituting a reign of death and terror that by the time it ended, an estimated twenty million people had been killed, either directly or indirectly, through famine, forced labor camps, and executions.

     Over 750,000 people alone died in the 1930s during Stalin’s Great Purge, as it is known. During it, his enemies either vanished, never to be heard from again, or were executed in public after show trials. Stalin understood the value of photography, too. Those “Enemies of the State” often disappeared from photos, as well. Stalin had a massive staff of professional photo retouchers skilled at erasing his enemies out of photographs.

     One such “Enemy of the State” was Nikola Yezhov, a secret police official who oversaw Stalin’s purges. For many years, Yezhov was Stalin’s right-hand man and the second most powerful person in the Communist Party. He was cunning and sadistic, falsely accusing and ordering the execution of thousands of Communist Party officials.

     But in 1938, Yezhov fell from grace after being falsely accused by one of his own Party deputies. He was denounced, secretly arrested, tried in a secret court, and executed. He went to his death, screaming for mercy. Stalin’s censors then erased Yezhov from all crucial photographs, including the picture provided, showing a smiling Yezhov standing next to his then-boss, a smiling Stalin.  

     This old world has seen a myriad of evil despots since its creation. They were masters of erasing those they deemed unworthy of their support, forsaking them for any reason that offended them.

     However, we are told in the New Testament Book of Hebrews there is someone who will never forsake his Believers, even when we might offend him or show him disrespect. Thankfully, Jesus, in his love and mercy, will never erase us from Heaven’s eternal photograph.  

     He will never relax his hold on us or give up on us. He stands before us, with loving, nail-scarred hands held out, saying, “Come home to me, all ye who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” This should encourage us to better understand Jesus’ faithfulness and commitment to us, his Father’s creations. As Believers, Jesus is with us and always will be. He will never erase us out of his life. What a reassuring thought that is!

     Ponder this and go forth.