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Some
Greeks who had come to Jerusalem to attend the Passover paid a visit to Philip,
who was from Bethsaida in Galilee. They said, "Sir, we want to meet
Jesus." Philip told Andrew about it, and they went together to ask Jesus.
Jesus replied, "The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his
glory. The truth is, a kernel of wheat
must be planted in the soil. Unless it dies it will be alone--a single seed. But
its death will produce many new kernels--a plentiful harvest of new lives. Those
who love their life in this world will lose it. Those who despise their life in
this world will keep it for eternal life. All those who want to be my
disciples must come and follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And
if they follow me, the Father will honor them. Now my soul is deeply troubled.
Should I pray, `Father, save me from what lies ahead'? But that is the very
reason why I came! Father, bring glory to your name."
(John 12:20-28 NLV). There
are many paradoxes in the world. This is especially true in the teachings of
Christ. Our reading today is one of those vivid illustrations of the paradox of
life. In order to live we must die.
In 1799 the famous Prussian explorer
and scientist Baron Von Humboldt discovered a potent drug called curare. On an
expedition into the jungles of Venezuela, he watched an Indian hunter bring down
a large animal with a single shot from his bow and arrow. The arrow had been
poisoned with curare, a potion with two curious properties, derived from the
jungle plants. Curare injected into the bloodstream, as it was when hunting
animals, was deadly. It immobilized the body, attacked the vital organs, and
caused death almost instantaneously. Humboldt discovered the second property of
curare in a more dramatic fashion. He became sick, and a native witch doctor
forced Humboldt to drink some curare that had been diluted with water. Terrified
that he was going to die, Humboldt was surprised to find that after drinking the
curare, he felt significantly better. Curare, when it was diluted and taken
orally, he discovered, could have a positive medicinal value without causing any
damage to vital organs. The key to curare's impact lies principally in the way
it is taken into the human body. Injected into the bloodstream, it's a deadly
killer. Ingested orally, it's a soothing muscle relaxant. 1 Faith in Christ is a lot like curare.
Its impact depends chiefly on how it is received. Many people choose to take it
orally, diluted as much as possible, so that it has few side effects and makes
them feel better but that's not the purpose of true faith. Christianity's
purpose is to change us into new creations. In order for us to become new
creations, we must die to our old selves and be born again, trading in our old
lives for new ones. Those who want a "safe" faith that costs them
little have a difficult time accepting death and new birth. True Christianity is
not safe; it costs you your life. It cost God His only beloved Son, and it will
cost you everything to follow Him. 1. Hot Illustrations for Youth Talks by Wayne Rice. Copyright 1994 by Youth Specialties, Inc. |
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