God's Last Words

“Only One Opinion is Right”

Luke 12: 49-56 (NRSV) 

Two guys are fishing in a boat under a bridge. One looks up and sees a funeral procession starting across the bridge. He stands up, takes off his cap, and bows his head.

The procession crosses the bridge and the man puts on his cap, picks up his rod and reel, and continues fishing. The other guy says, "That was touching. I didn't know you had it in you." The first guy responds, "Well, I guess it was the thing to do - after all, I was married to her for 40 years." 

Have you ever considered the differences in judgment and opinion between men and women? 

NICKNAMES: If Laura, Suzanne, Debra and Rose go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Suzanne, Debra and Rose. If Mike, Charlie, Bob and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy.

EATING OUT: When the bill arrives, Fat Boy, Godzilla, Peanut-Head and Scrappy
will each throw in $20 even though it's only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller and none will actually admit they want change back. When the girls get their bill, they pull out pocket calculators.

MONEY: A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need because it's on sale.

BATHROOMS: A man has five items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn. The average number of items in the typical woman's bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify most of these items.

ARGUMENTS: A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

FUTURE: A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband. A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.

SUCCESS: A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man. 

MARRIAGE: A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn't.  A man marries a woman expecting that she won't change and she does.

DRESSING UP: A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book and get the mail. A man will only dress up for church, weddings, and funerals. 

NATURAL: Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

OFFSPRING: A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.

FINALLY THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Any married man should forget his mistakes. There's no use in two people remembering the same thing.

We know that there are significant differences in how men and women view things and develop opinions and attitudes. But we also encounter an entirely different mindset between humans and God. Listen to Jesus from Luke 12: 49-56: 

Jesus said, "I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division!  

From now on five in one household will be divided, three against two and two against three; they will be divided: father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."  

He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, `It is going to rain'; and so it happens.  

And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, `There will be scorching heat;’ and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?" 

Much is often said of the peaceful nature of Jesus Christ and the unity that he desires among His followers. But the really is far different. The unity He desires is that following Him requires a total commitment by everyone to Him and His kingdom.

Jesus accepts no compromise. Jesus allows no reservations. Jesus doesn’t tolerate lukewarm professions of faith. No excuses, no delays, no haltering steps. You do the Jesus walk or you go somewhere else. 

Of course we know that receiving grace is different than living in it. To receive grace is to be set free in the amazing love of God and the sacrifices of His Son. 

A few weeks ago Bill O’Reilly gave his take on Jesus and salvation. O’Reilly spouted that, “All you have to do is treat others nice and God will treat you nice.” That’s a nice slogan for kindergarten but its lousy salvation theology.   

O’Reilly fails to live his beliefs almost every night when he is rude and obnoxious to those he disagrees with but claims works righteousness as a justification to do it.   

Kitty Collins once said, “Nothing is as difficult as to achieve results in this world if one is filled full of great tolerance and the milk of human kindness. The person who achieves must generally be a one-idea individual, concentrated entirely on that one idea, and ruthless in his aspect toward other men and other ideas.”  

O’Reilly’s problem illustrates this point: He wants to be perceived as nice but tough; a good guy among evil doers who lives by a code of ethics that makes (or will make) him a saint. He will fail. 

Most Christians in our current culture face the same dilemma – How can we be true to Christ and still live in our world? The answer is simple. Jesus says we can’t. Only a rejection of the world and human values and opinions will work. 

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither of them wanted to concede their position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?" "Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

We all suffer a natural barrier between where Jesus calls us and where we need to be. Only by putting Him first are we given the tools of grace that allow us to live in our fallen world. It is through faith and not works. 

It is through that grace and a Christian identity that the divisions between our house-holds and families are mended. The grace of God heals our wounds, mends our fences, and makes us ready for the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ. 

Time is short and preparation time precious. We are to encourage all to recognize that it is only through Jesus that salvation comes to man. Amen.