A man was to be executed for killing another man and leaving the dead man's wife widowed and his children fatherless. On the date of the execution, friends and family members for both the murderer and the victim assembled to watch the murderer die. Some hurled insults. Some wept.
Then just before the execution was to take place, the son of the victim stood up and cried, "Do not kill this murderer! Kill me instead!"
So the innocent boy was placed in a noose and hanged to save the wicked.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Injury and the Sabbath Law
A man loved God very much, and always lived according to God's law. One Sabbath, his son was outside playing. The boy slipped and fell down a hill, breaking his leg.
The boy screamed out in pain and his father came running. Seeing his son at the bottom of the hill, the man had a sudden crisis. He wanted to help his son, but to carry the boy up the hill would break the Sabbath law of refraining from work.
So the man called to his son, "I cannot break God's law. Just wait until nightfall and then I will come to get you."
For several hours the child lay there in anguish. Then when darkness fell the man rushed to his son, put him in the car, and drove him to the hospital.
After the doctors had set the boy's leg, he returned home with his father, but things were never the same. From then on the boy hated his father, hated God's law, and hated God.
What is more important than giving mercy to those in need? No law should cause you to ignore caring for your brothers and sisters. Not man's law, nor God's law. For to ignore your neighbor in the name of the Lord is to curse your neighbor, yourself, and God.
The boy screamed out in pain and his father came running. Seeing his son at the bottom of the hill, the man had a sudden crisis. He wanted to help his son, but to carry the boy up the hill would break the Sabbath law of refraining from work.
So the man called to his son, "I cannot break God's law. Just wait until nightfall and then I will come to get you."
For several hours the child lay there in anguish. Then when darkness fell the man rushed to his son, put him in the car, and drove him to the hospital.
After the doctors had set the boy's leg, he returned home with his father, but things were never the same. From then on the boy hated his father, hated God's law, and hated God.
What is more important than giving mercy to those in need? No law should cause you to ignore caring for your brothers and sisters. Not man's law, nor God's law. For to ignore your neighbor in the name of the Lord is to curse your neighbor, yourself, and God.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
The Two Women of God
A child was raised to know and love God since she was an infant.
At five years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.
At fifteen years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.
At fifty years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.
A different girl was raised in a household that did not know God, nor did her parents ever take the time to teach her about Him.
At five years old, she wondered what the other children were talking about when they spoke of God. She asked questions, seeking to understand this new idea. But she did not pray and she did not worship Him.
At fifteen years old, she read scripture, asked questions, and tried to wrap her mind around the concept of a being who controlled the universe, but whom she could not see. Sometimes she thought she believed, and sometimes she laughed at the idea, and sometimes she wept because she did not understand. And still she did not pray and she did not worship Him.
At fifty years old, after decades of questions, study, and confusion, she realized that she had come to believe in God and to love the hope He gave to her. She felt inadequate in prayer and clumsy in worship of Him, but in her joyous frenzy she went to all of her friends who were also confused by faith and God. Without judging them, she spent all of her remaining years explaining her questions, and how they had been answered. And many of these people too came to feel the joy that she experienced and came to know the Lord, though not all.
When these two women both died, the Lord looked at them both and said, “I have loved you both for your whole lives.” Then to the first woman he said, "You have loved Me and worshiped Me, but you did not go out to share the joy that you have known in Me. You became comfortable with Me, and took Me for granted.” Then turning to the second woman, He said, “But you did not know Me, and through all of your questions, I was there. And through all of your doubt, I was with you. And when you finally came to know Me late in life, you worshiped Me best of all by sharing Me with others. So for you, I have many treasures, because although you have not loved Me as long, you have loved Me best.”
At five years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.
At fifteen years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.
At fifty years old, she never asked what God wanted of her, because she already knew. So she faithfully prayed and worshiped Him every week.
A different girl was raised in a household that did not know God, nor did her parents ever take the time to teach her about Him.
At five years old, she wondered what the other children were talking about when they spoke of God. She asked questions, seeking to understand this new idea. But she did not pray and she did not worship Him.
At fifteen years old, she read scripture, asked questions, and tried to wrap her mind around the concept of a being who controlled the universe, but whom she could not see. Sometimes she thought she believed, and sometimes she laughed at the idea, and sometimes she wept because she did not understand. And still she did not pray and she did not worship Him.
At fifty years old, after decades of questions, study, and confusion, she realized that she had come to believe in God and to love the hope He gave to her. She felt inadequate in prayer and clumsy in worship of Him, but in her joyous frenzy she went to all of her friends who were also confused by faith and God. Without judging them, she spent all of her remaining years explaining her questions, and how they had been answered. And many of these people too came to feel the joy that she experienced and came to know the Lord, though not all.
When these two women both died, the Lord looked at them both and said, “I have loved you both for your whole lives.” Then to the first woman he said, "You have loved Me and worshiped Me, but you did not go out to share the joy that you have known in Me. You became comfortable with Me, and took Me for granted.” Then turning to the second woman, He said, “But you did not know Me, and through all of your questions, I was there. And through all of your doubt, I was with you. And when you finally came to know Me late in life, you worshiped Me best of all by sharing Me with others. So for you, I have many treasures, because although you have not loved Me as long, you have loved Me best.”
Friday, December 7, 2007
The Feast
A man laid out a great feast and threw a lavish party for his guests. Hundreds of people came to the man’s party, but all of the guests had eaten before they arrived, so they looked at the man’s table of food, turned up their noses and left.
At first the man called after them, asking them to come back. But few returned, so the man packed up all the food, put it in his vehicle and took it down to a homeless shelter. About fifty people were at the shelter, and upon seeing the amount of food that the man had, how fine it was, and knowing that they had friends starving all over town, they immediately ran to tell their friends. Soon there were more than five hundred people at the shelter, and each made sure that his friend had enough before he ate his fill.
In so doing, everyone was full, and all were grateful to the man for providing such a fine banquet.
So the Lord’s table is full, but if you take too much from the world, you will turn up your nose even when He offers you the greatest gifts. But those who are poor of spirit and possessions and hungering for what He has to provide, will eat their fill and bring others to the table as well.
At first the man called after them, asking them to come back. But few returned, so the man packed up all the food, put it in his vehicle and took it down to a homeless shelter. About fifty people were at the shelter, and upon seeing the amount of food that the man had, how fine it was, and knowing that they had friends starving all over town, they immediately ran to tell their friends. Soon there were more than five hundred people at the shelter, and each made sure that his friend had enough before he ate his fill.
In so doing, everyone was full, and all were grateful to the man for providing such a fine banquet.
So the Lord’s table is full, but if you take too much from the world, you will turn up your nose even when He offers you the greatest gifts. But those who are poor of spirit and possessions and hungering for what He has to provide, will eat their fill and bring others to the table as well.
Thoughts on Today's Post
The one I'm posting today is merely a spin on a parable Jesus told. The main difference is that this post is focused not on the rejection by the faithful, but on the fact that the poor in spirit, after they have found hope, want to share it with others they know who are poor in spirit as well. I find that when I was a nominally religious person and I finally found truth, hope, and joy in God, I wanted to share that more than I ever believed possible. But those who have always had the faith that I lacked for so long...well, it often seems that they have become accustomed to it, take it for granted, and judge those of us who don't understand yet. I think we all need to remember and hold dear that experience of finally coming to understand that God really does love us and wants us close to Him.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
The Worshipper and His Wife
In a town, there was a small house of worship that followed old traditions very strictly. Only men were allowed to worship in the holy place. Women were strictly forbidden from entering.
So each weekend, on the day set aside for worship, a man and his wife would walk down to the holy place. The man would say goodbye to his wife and enter the holy place, where he would spend more than two hours in prayer and meditation, thinking on the will of God.
During the time of worship, his wife would go across the street and into the orphanage. She would spend more than two hours playing with the children, reading them stories, caring for the sick ones, and working with many of the other wives whose husbands were in worship.
When they were old, they both passed away and stood before God. The man said, “Lord, I have worshipped You faithfully in Your holy house every weekend for my whole life.”
The Lord said, “You have ignored My holy place for your entire life. But your wife has been with Me every weekend of her life.”
“But God,” cried the man, “I went to Your house of worship!”
“You walked past My house. Your prayer and meditation were a blessing to you and were nothing to me. But the care your wife showed to My little ones was a blessing to many and true worship of Me.”
So each weekend, on the day set aside for worship, a man and his wife would walk down to the holy place. The man would say goodbye to his wife and enter the holy place, where he would spend more than two hours in prayer and meditation, thinking on the will of God.
During the time of worship, his wife would go across the street and into the orphanage. She would spend more than two hours playing with the children, reading them stories, caring for the sick ones, and working with many of the other wives whose husbands were in worship.
When they were old, they both passed away and stood before God. The man said, “Lord, I have worshipped You faithfully in Your holy house every weekend for my whole life.”
The Lord said, “You have ignored My holy place for your entire life. But your wife has been with Me every weekend of her life.”
“But God,” cried the man, “I went to Your house of worship!”
“You walked past My house. Your prayer and meditation were a blessing to you and were nothing to me. But the care your wife showed to My little ones was a blessing to many and true worship of Me.”
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Boy and His Father
A boy’s father was called by the principal of the boy’s school. The principal said that the boy was in trouble for fighting, so the boy’s father asked his son, “Why were you fighting?”
His son said, “Another boy said you were stupid.”
The father appreciated that his son stood up for him, but he told his son, “I do not want you fighting.”
The next day, the boy was again in trouble for fighting. His father said, “I thought I told you that I did not want you to fight.”
“But a boy at school said that he could beat you up!” the boy stated.
“That may be, but I do not want you to fight.”
The next day it happened again, and the father asked his son, “Why does this keep happening?”
And his son told him, “Today was the worst of all. A boy called you a liar!”
Then the father said, “Son, I love you. I don’t want you to fight, because there is always a better solution than fighting. If another boys says something bad about me, rather than fighting him, I want you to invite him to come home with you. That way he can meet me and know the truth.”
In the same way, if someone disparages the Lord, He does not want someone to fight on His behalf. It only drives the person away from God. If someone curses God, God is not angry with that person. Instead He yearns for his sheep to return to the flock, so He calls us to invite the lost to meet Him. Only in that way can anyone know the truth.
His son said, “Another boy said you were stupid.”
The father appreciated that his son stood up for him, but he told his son, “I do not want you fighting.”
The next day, the boy was again in trouble for fighting. His father said, “I thought I told you that I did not want you to fight.”
“But a boy at school said that he could beat you up!” the boy stated.
“That may be, but I do not want you to fight.”
The next day it happened again, and the father asked his son, “Why does this keep happening?”
And his son told him, “Today was the worst of all. A boy called you a liar!”
Then the father said, “Son, I love you. I don’t want you to fight, because there is always a better solution than fighting. If another boys says something bad about me, rather than fighting him, I want you to invite him to come home with you. That way he can meet me and know the truth.”
In the same way, if someone disparages the Lord, He does not want someone to fight on His behalf. It only drives the person away from God. If someone curses God, God is not angry with that person. Instead He yearns for his sheep to return to the flock, so He calls us to invite the lost to meet Him. Only in that way can anyone know the truth.
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