Matthias

I came across this story when I was in the school library searching for some stuff:

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England
town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent,
old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in
response, Pastor Thomas began to speak..."I was walking through town yesterday
when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the
bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and
fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old
birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em
and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good
time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you
do?"
"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy.
"They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."

The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those
birds, son?"
"Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain
old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!"
"How much?" the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He
placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the
alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he
opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out,
setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the
pastor began to tell this story. One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come
from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just
caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew
they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"

"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to
marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink
and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and
kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked. "Oh,
I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus
asked.

"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take hem and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you.
You don't want those people!!"
"How much?" He asked again.

Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your
life."
Jesus said, "DONE!"

Then He paid the price.

The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the
pulpit.


Then, I came across another poem:

A Love Worth Dying For
By Joan Clifton Costner

I don’t know how He loved so vile a sinner
Before I even knew or made response.
I only know He took an awful beating
And He died for me, upon a cruel cross.

Now, when I think of golden streets He’s offered
No cost to me save only just believe,
I count His name most precious and most sacred.
I love and trust all from His heart received.

It didn’t take me long, once I had heard it.
He loved a love He thought worth dying for,
And so, for me, with life made richer, fuller;
I found a Love~ a Love worth dying for.


Ever wondered why this post is called 'Matthias'? Cos the story and the poem sort of reminded me of this name. For all who do not know, the meaning of Matthias in Christianity means the 'gift of God'. Perhaps, absolutely, with my own changing world view, I now truly believe so, that the greatest gift of God to us is His Son, by the name of Jesus.

And now I truly believe that this gift truly transforms life. Just recently realised one truth, or reflected back on one truth which I have held on long time ago but now it makes new sense to me: 'Where your mind goes, your action follows. Whatever you think about will dictate your behavior, your attitude, and (ultimately) your direction in life. Your thoughts are sort of like a rudder—they steer the rest of your body.

So, how does this gift relate to this truth, you may ask. Now look at this verse:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
- Romans 12:2


Right, this gift of God has the innate potential to transform our life, by renewing our mind, by focusing our thought on His Words, the Word of God, as what is said in the Scripture:

Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God
- Deut. 8:3


Well, that says a lot, but how many of us do realise it? Because our minds are so important in our life, it is therefore important for us to feed our mind with the right stuff. You see, the mind is just like a living entity. You feed it the right stuff, and it grows healthy. Feed it with the wrong stuff and it will experience abnormal growth... sometimes it will only die out. But whether what determines the right stuff and what determines the wrong stuff, I leave it to my readers.

But consider how the right stuff can transform you:

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
- 1 Peter 3:3-4


Certainly so, certainly so. The inner self, or the mind, as we feed it the right stuff, which to me currently is the Words of God serve to beautify the person better than jewellery, clothes and whatever you can put on your body. That's why they say 'Beauty is only skin deep', though it should have been 'Physical beauty is only skin deep'.

I have a lot more to say, but till I managed to link all my thoughts together, I'll leave it at here. Adios

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Parable of the 'Good Samaritan'

Of Teaching and Learning

Iakobou Epistode: From Confusion to Clarity