God's Last Words

“After All, He Wrote It”

JOHN 10: 1-10 (NRSV)

Last week we talked about the “Big Picture.” This week we’ll revisit that idea a little bit, but we’ll also include some “Mom” things, too.

First, God created the dog and said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this, I will give you a life span of twenty years."

The dog said: "That's a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I'll give you back the other ten?" So God agreed.

Next, God created the monkey and said: "Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I'll give you a twenty-year life span."

The monkey said: "Monkey tricks for twenty years? That's a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did?" And God agreed.

Then God created the cow and said:"You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer's family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years."

The cow said: "That's kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. How about I take twenty and I'll give back the other forty?" And God agreed again.

Finally, God created man and said: "Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this, I'll give you twenty years." But man said: "Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty, okay?" "Okay," said God, "You asked for it."

So that’s why for our first twenty years we eat, sleep, play and enjoy ourselves. The next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family. For the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren. And for the last ten years we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone.

Life has now been explained to you. You now have another version of the “big picture!” Remember what the term, “The big picture, means?” It relates to knowing the meaning and reason to/for life or everything.

Listen to John 10: 1-10:

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.

Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them.

I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

God wrote a “big picture” book called the Bible. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, God is the Gatekeeper, we are the sheep, and anyone else are like thieves and bandits.

When I was working as a Computer Program Analyst with the Army we once encountered a very serious problem with a computer program. Four people, myself included, worked for a week to try to figure it out. No matter what we tried it just wouldn’t do what we wanted it to do.

Finally, in desperation because of an approaching deadline, I suggested we ask for help from a person in the next office down the hall. My boss asked me why? I simply said, “He should know what to do, after all, he wrote this program in the first place.”

The program change was successfully initiated in about 15 minutes after talking to him, and I got a “suggestion of the month award.” I was actually embarrassed that it took me that long to suggest it.

Don’t most of us spend many years trying to get a handle on life when we should know to look to the author of this world for the authority to live our lives?

John 1: 1-3: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.  God wrote the world! God should be our resource for life, after all He wrote it!

Motherhood was created by God to serve a purpose of child raising and balance in the family, and to disprove evolution. Why did I say that? Because if progressive evolution, as told by our scientists, is correct, why do mothers still only have 2 hands?

In order to understand motherhood we need to see not only the big picture of the family ordained by God, but the roles that a father and mother have in bringing up God-loving and serving children.

Motherhood is related to God’s institution of marriage and the ideal of a union between a man and a woman who would be committed throughout their lifetimes to share every challenge and experience of life on earth. Women and men have different roles and expectations, strengths and weaknesses, but are equal in God’s Kingdom.

The word “mother (Greek mê-tėr)” occurs 100 times in the Greek New Testament and reflects the value of the family. Western Civilization, with its Christian roots and inspiration, at least until the last 10 years or so, valued motherhood greatly.

We don’t realize how practices like abortion, same sex marriage, unmarried people living together, and out-of- wedlock births have undermined the family, the sanctity of motherhood, and destruction of fatherhood.

Listen to what Theodore Roosevelt said about mothers: “When all is said that can be said, it is the mother, and the mother only, who is a better citizen than the soldier who fights for his or her country.

The successful mother, the mother who does her part in rearing and training aright the boys and girls who are to be the men and women of the next generation, is of greater use to the community and occupies, if she would only realize it, a more honorable  as well as a more important position than any man in it. The mother is the supreme asset of the national life. She is more important by far than a successful government leader, businessperson, artist, or scientist.”

Wow, how far our social values and mores have fallen!

The cartoon strip “Momma” once had the son running up and saying, “Hi, Momma! Can you sew on this button in a hurry? And iron these slacks? And get me a get me a cold glass of water? Thanks, Momma! Got to run.” Momma sighs and says, “In the ‘Indy 500’ of life, mothers are the pit stops.”  God agrees. AMEN