The Broken Pitcher of Milk

One of my favorite illustrations of grace is from the story of a social worker named Henry Moorehouse who lived in the very worst of slum districts in London, England, in the 1800s. 

One evening as he was walking home, Moorehouse saw a little girl carrying a pitcher of milk. Suddenly she fell, and the pitcher slipped out of her hands and shattered. As the milk flowed into the gutter, the little girl began to sob uncontrollably. 

"Honey, don't cry," said Moorehouse as he helped her get up. But the tears would not stop. 

"I'll get a whipping from my mommy," the girl said between sobs. 

"No, you won't. I'll help you put the pitcher back together again," Moorehouse assured her. 

Suddenly the tears stopped. But every time it looked as if Moorehouse would succeed, the pitcher would fall apart again. After several unsuccessful attempts, the girl began crying again. 

In the end, Moorehouse lifted the girl in his arms and carried her to a crockery store, where he bought her a brand-new pitcher. Then he carried her to the store where she had purchased the milk and paid to have the pitcher filled once more. Finally, he carried her home. 

Then Moorehouse asked the little girl if she thought her mother would still whip her. 

"No sir," she smiled. "This pitcher is much nicer than the one we had before." 

God has done something even greater than this for us. Although we were originally created in His likeness, sin shattered His image within us. We can try to mend that image through good works and religious ritual, but we are broken beyond repair. 

Robert Jeffress