The Priest with Dirty Clothes by R.C.Sproul is a fabulously written allegory illustrating the truth of justification. Although it is written to illustrate a theological truth to children, it is also highly profitable for adults as well, and such a great conversation-starter for parents to use with their children! I absolutely enjoyed reading it, and am excited to read the rest in this series by R.C. Sproul.
This story is written from the perspective of a grandfather telling his grandkids a tale. I love though how the first page in the book is a quote from Zechariah, a vision of the High Priest. This tale begins with a young man Jonathan, just ordained to the priesthood, and on his way to preach his first sermon at the castle of the King! On the way to the castle his clothes are ruined, and he realizes he cannot stand in front of the king in soiled clothing! He is even accused in the court by Malus, a wicked magician. The rest of the story follows Jonathan as he tries to clean his clothes, but to no avail…they are permanent stains. Read the book to find out what wonderful thing the prince does to help Jonathan gain entrance into the court and receive acceptance from the King.
What I love about this allegory is that it is very simple to make connections between Jonathan and ourselves as sinners, between the prince and Jesus Christ, Malus and the devil, etc. Theological truths are clearly stated, such as the following: “Jonathan,’ the prince said, ‘you are like the branch you pulled from the fire. You are covered with black dirt. But the dirt is not just on your clothes. It is on your heart. Sin, the wrong things that you do, makes your heart dirty. No soap can make it clean.’” The truths of justification are not only illustrated in the allegory, but also summarized by the grandfather telling the tale, and also extended upon in “for the parents” section R.C. Sproul has at the end of the book containing explanations, Scripture, questions, and points to ponder.
The illustrations are bright and cheery, as if from a fairy tale book, yet will keep children focused on the plot of the story, and the emotions expressed in the characters.
I can’t do this book justice by a short review…go ahead and purchase one for yourself and your children! It is available at www.ligonier.org/store or www.amazon.com.
I am receiving a copy of The Priest with Dirty Clothes for free, from Reformation Trust/Ligonier Ministries, as compensation for my review.
