| Imagine this scene if you will.
Noah has just finished building the ark and now has the task of
finding one male and one female of every species to bring on board.
Herds, flocks and other groupings of animals are standing all around
the ark as Noah begins the selection process.
Noah begins by choosing two powerful lions. There is a murmuring
amongst the tigers as to why the lions always have to be first.
Next Noah chooses two beautiful black bears. This brings an instantaneous
reaction from the polar bears. Doesn't Noah know that white
bears are always given special preference? A pair of beautiful
thoroughbreds is chosen next leaving the working class of horses
nagging at each other about how the common, ordinary, working
breeds are never given much value.
And so it goes. With every choice there is complaining about
who was chosen first or why one was seemingly more important
than another. Some were left out because they didn't have
the right pedigree or color. Others seemingly were overlooked
because they were too old or too young or because they had some
blemish or imperfection. There was concern about why certain
breeds or species were chosen ahead of another.
Once on board the animals didn't cease to bicker. Why
were some stalls so much bigger than others? Why were some given
space with a porthole while others were housed on the interior
of the ship? Was it fair that some had to be three levels below
deck having to listen to the stomping of feet above them? Then
there was the food. There never was enough nor was it served
properly. Some of the animals seemed to get all the attention
while others were left to fend for themselves. The animals that
slept at night were kept awake by those who slept during the
day and vice versa. According to the camels, the elephants hogged
all the drinking water often wasting much of it trying to stay
cool.
Then the rain started and after several days the land flooded
and those on board saw the ones who were left behind drown and
for a time there was silence. However, it wasn't long before
the complaints started again about the close quarters and the
extremely high humidity and horrific stench coming from certain
quarters.
Even though their lives had been spared, it always seemed like
others were getting the better of them. Now a new problem, if
you can call it that, emerged. The ones on board began to believe
they were chosen and survived the flood because they were better
than those who had been left behind to drown. Some even went
so far as to offer explanations as to why the others deserved
to die, citing age, status, sexual practices, color and physical
or mental imperfections. Centuries later and long after all the
animals and people on the ark were dead a lot of their behaviors
were still being exhibited by those the survivors of the ark
had helped create. A man by the name of Jesus began to teach.
He exhibited special powers and attracted a following. Some of
His followers hoped to make the most of His powers by being in
a select circle of His disciples. However, He was confusing them.
He talked about servanthood as if it was something to be freely
chosen. He said His followers needed to get over the idea of
being first. If they really wanted to find their life they had
to be willing to lose the one they had. Instead of doing to others
what others had done to them they were instructed to love, forgive,
serve and seek peace and reconciliation.
But the Teacher's students were slow learners. One day
a rich young man asked what he would have to do to join the Teacher's
inner circle. "Sell all you have; give it to the poor and
follow Me!" was the reply. The man could not bring himself
to do such a thing and went away angry at such a foolish idea.
This caused alarm among the Teacher's closest followers.
They had given up everything in order to follow Him and now they
wanted to know what would be in it for them because from the
start they sensed the Teacher's extraordinary powers would
somehow be used to their advantage.
So the Teacher invited them to sit down while He told them a
story. A very, very wealthy man intended to give away his wealth,
so he invited some of the most powerful men of that region to
come to his home. The men were certain they were deserving of
the invitation and outwardly congratulated each other although
they each secretly thought they should get more than the others.
While they were enjoying the hospitality of their host he invited
some women to join them. These were not servants nor were they
to be a source of entertainment. They were to be treated like
the men which caused the men to become furious.
Before they could really get angry their host had invited some
foreigners who were looked down upon by both the men and women
who were already there. Then their host invited a poorer class
of people. Some of these were slaves and servants of the original
group of men. The men and the women and the foreigners could
not understand why this lower class of people would be welcomed
by their host.
The next thing their host did was to invite some people who
were physically and mentally challenged. Surely there had to
be some mistake. The original group began to discover that people
of opposing political and religious groups had also been invited.
They were appalled to discover that former inmates were arriving.
It got really frightening when the town prostitutes appeared
and addressed some of the original invitees by their first name.
Then it really got bad. People who were in love with others of
the same physical structure were included on the guest list.
The host appeared and signaled for silence. He then announced
his vast riches would be evenly made available to all who were
present. Naturally, the latecomers were elated while the first
to arrive simply could not believe what they were hearing and
set about to find some ways they could address this awful injustice.
They demanded to know from their host why such a travesty was
taking place.
His response was simple. "It's my money. Why can't
I do with it as I please? Why can't you enjoy what you
have been given? What made you think you deserved anything from
me? Can't you just be grateful for your good fortune?" With
that the host departed leaving his guests to ponder what had
happened. Today many still ponder while others are convinced
they should have been the only ones at the party. A few simply
rejoice at their good fortune to have been included. |
