SCRIPTURE: Matthew 3:2 (TM) – (Matthew 3:1-12)
His message was simple and
austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is
here."
STORY:
It is hard to believe now, but the potato was once a highly
unpopular food. When first introduced into England by Sir Walter Raleigh,
newspapers printed editorials against it, ministers preached sermons against
it, and the general public wouldn't touch it. It was supposed to sterilize the
soil in which it had been planted and cause all manner of strange
illnesses--even death.
There were, however, a few brave men who did not believe all
the propaganda being shouted against it. It was seen as an answer to famine
among the poorer classes and as a healthful and beneficial food. Still, these
few noblemen in England could not persuade their tenants to cultivate the
potato. It was years before all the adverse publicity was overcome and the
potato became popular.
A Frenchman named Parmentier took a different tack. He had
been a prisoner of war in England when he first heard of the new plant. His
fellow prisoners protested the outrage of having to eat potatoes. Parmentier,
instead, thoughtfully inquired about the methods of cultivating and cooking the
new food. Upon his return to France, he procured an experimental farm from the
Emperor, in which he planted potatoes. When it was time to dig them, at his own
expense, he hired a few soldiers to patrol all sides of his famous potato patch
during the daytime. Meanwhile he conducted distinguished guests through the
fields, digging a few tubers here and there, which they devoured with evident
relish. At night, he began to withdraw the guards. A few days later one of the
guards hastened to Parmentier with the sad news that peasants had broken into
the potato patch at night, and dug up most of the crop.
Parmentier
was overjoyed, much to the surprise of his informant, and exclaimed, "When
the people will steal in order to procure potatoes, their popularity is
assured."
OBSERVATION:
John came preaching a message
of change – never a great idea since change doesn’t come quickly because of our
reluctance to embrace it. Jerry Clower speaks of it with humor. He tells the
story of his friend Marcel Ledbetter who feed his dog collard greens. Marcel’s
friend said that his dog won’t touch them to which Marcel said: “Neither would
mine for 2 weeks.”
Point being, if we get hungry
enough we will try anything. Or, as in the potato story – if it is deemed
valuable then people will desire it.
John has a hook – The Kingdom
of God. His listeners were desperate for some good news. They waited so long
for the promised Kingdom to arrive that they were willing to listen to even
this strange man from the dessert… even if the message was to change.
John’s message was simple and
direct. No flowery words or fancy illustration. He declared a reality, a truth.
No one could miss the message. Kingdom of God and Change were forever linked.
If we don’t like what is
going on in this world we can pray for change, we can hope for change, we can
long for change, we can wish for change, we can complain … or we can start to
change and in so doing start a movement to bring about change.
We are called by God to be
change agents. The role isn’t easy and there will be plenty of people who will
fight us at every turn. After all, “We have always done it that way.” They will
complain, they will argue, they will get mad, they will leave, but if we remain
faithful to God’s message and purpose change will come.
People started to listen to
John. They began to tell their friends and neighbors about this strange man of
conviction. More and more people flocked to hear him. They began to listen and
respond.
There’s
a voice in the wilderness crying,
A
call from the ways untrod:
Prepare
in the desert a highway,
A
highway for our God!
The
valleys shall be exalted,
The
lofty hills brought low;
Make
straight all the crooked places,
Where
the Lord our God may go!
We need more people with convictions like John in
our world. We need another Parmentier who dare to believe that what we have the world
needs. Maybe God is waiting for our voices to be raised in the wilderness,
crying out for change because the Kingdom of God is here!
PRAYER:
God this discipleship stuff
is hard. Do you really expect us to be change agents? Do you really want our
voices to cry out in the wilderness? We are only a few people, do you really
expect us to bring about change? Bring conviction, instill in us desire and
commitment. Help us to raise our voices believing that the Kingdom of God is
truly at hand.
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