I ordered some groceries online, including some unbelievably-low-cost-special-offer organic carrots, pre-cut into batons. But the unbelievably-low-cost-special-offer organic carrots were so unbelievably-low-cost-special-offer they sold out before my order was packed!
No problem - the supermarket provided a substitute at the same unbelievably-low-cost-special-offer price. I checked the list - it looked fine - so I said Yes to the driver.
Unpacking the bags was a bit puzzling - no sign of unbelievably-low-cost-special-offer replacement carrots. No orange vegetables to be seen. But there were some packets of snacks I didn't remember ordering. So I looked closer and found they were organic corn puffs aimed at babies above 7 months - carrot-flavoured. I ordered vegetables - they substituted baby food!
I'm so glad that supermarket wasn't in charge of the most important substitution ever made…
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
(Isaiah 53 v 5-6 - emphasis mine)
Alison Mitchell is a Senior Editor at The Good Book Company, where she has worked on a range of products including Bible-reading notes for children and families, and the Christianity Explored range of resources. She is the bestselling author of The Christmas Promise and the award-winning Jesus and the Lions' Den.
