Your Faith
Fool's Gold
One of my favorite television shows growing up was Little House on the Prairie. I remember a particular episode where the main character, Laura, and her friend Jonah are fishing in a pond when they notice something sparkling nearby. Upon taking a closer look, they find what they think are gold particles scattered all over the floor of this shallow pond. For the rest of the episode, Laura and Jonah spend their days gathering their gold, fantasizing about all the wonderful things they will do with their new wealth. Towards the end of the episode, Laura and Jonah bring several sacks full of gold to the bank, thinking they are about to cash in on some serious wealth. To their dismay, the banker tells them that what they have found is not gold, but iron pyrite, also known as “fool’s gold” for its striking resemblance to gold. Needless to say, the two friends are crushed, and the episode ends with the two friends sitting at the pond, watching their pile of iron pyrite slowly wash away.
Things are not always what they seem. A promising investment opportunity can end up leading to bankruptcy. The person you thought you would spend the rest of your life with can end up breaking your heart. The movie you heard was so great ends up being a bust. How about our spiritual maturity? As a pastor, I can give the impression that I am a mature Christian. I have a seminary degree, I preach and teach the Word of God, and I have committed my life to serving the Church. From a distance, everything looks like gold. But upon closer examination, I often find iron pyrite.
I recently led a Bible Study on the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000. As I was preparing, I noticed a few things that I had never noticed before. In Matthew’s Gospel, we learn that just prior to this miracle, Jesus learns that John the Baptist has been beheaded. “When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.” (Matthew 14:13) In Mark’s Gospel, we learn that just prior to this miracle, Jesus and his disciples had not eaten anything all day. He says to his disciples, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31) What might seem like minor details in this story are actually more important to me than the miracle itself. The way I see it, Jesus had no business even being with these 5,000 people in the first place. These verses show us that Jesus had every reason to want some “down time.” He wanted to mourn the loss of his relative. He wanted to rest. He wanted to eat. He wanted to be alone.
But as often is the case in life, it’s when we feel we have nothing to give that people need us the most. As Jesus is trying to withdraw for a moment’s rest, “many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them.” (Mark 6:33) Let’s try to imagine what might be running through Jesus’ mind right now. I don’t know about you, but when I’m tired and hungry, I get really cranky. The slightest inconvenience can set me off and I can become downright nasty. And the last thing I want to do is help someone. Jesus is not only tired and hungry, but he is in mourning. If anyone deserves to be cranky, irritable, and just wants to be left alone, it’s Jesus. And what does He see when he gets to what He thinks is a secluded place? A crowd of people. Yet instead of dismissing the crowd, Mark tells us that He “had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things.” (Mark 6:34) A hungry, tired, and mourning Jesus decides that teaching this crowd is more important to Him than taking care of His own needs.
What’s so important about these series of events? What if Jesus had done what I would have done in His shoes? What if Jesus, upon seeing this annoying crowd of people had sent them home instead of teaching them? What if Jesus had decided at that particular moment that He was in no mood to minister, and chose instead to withdraw to be by Himself? Then the crowd would have gone home, and there would never be a wonderful miracle of feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish. Before this amazing display of power was a quiet display of love and compassion. The amazing miracle of multiplying bread and fish was preceded by a lesser known miracle of multiplying love and compassion. Which was more difficult? I’d say it was the act of love. Why? Because it required sacrifice. That to me is the mark of true maturity.
God always gives us opportunities to show love and compassion to others. Or put another way, God gives us opportunities to make sacrifices. Would you rather sit in on a Bible Study, or babysit a single mother’s child so that she can? Would you rather sleep an extra hour on Sunday morning, or drive the church van and pick up some students who don’t have a car? Would you rather eat first, or watch your toddler so that your spouse can eat first? I’d be the first to admit that I’d rather sit in on the Bible Study, sleep the extra hour, and definitely eat first (especially if it’s sushi). No matter how many sermons I preach, or Bible Studies I lead, or chapters of the Bible I read, if I cannot make sacrifices, then I’m just posing as a mature Christian. You may as well call me iron pyrite. What about you? Are love and compassion evident in your life? Do you seize the opportunities God gives you to make sacrifices? Let’s not just look the part. Let’s live it. 