The Best Died Young
The world shouldn’t kill its good men and women. Dreamers are too rare to begin with. But sometimes the world destroys its best.
Jimmy Carter was a national leader and a man of noble dreams. He still is. If we• heard that authorities somewhere had arrested him and beaten him in Rodney King fashion, and in the process of carrying out supposed justice they had killed him, we would be shocked. “What has the world come to?” we would ask.
When Gallup polls ask who are the most admired men and women, what names are predictable? In 2011 the list of the top ten included:
- Barack Obama
- George W. Bush
- Bill Clinton
- Rev. Billy Graham
- Warren Buffett
- Newt Gingrich
- Donald Trump
- Pope Benedict XVI
- Bill Gates
- Thomas Monson
Let them all live to old age. Don’t kill the good ones off.
Thank goodness there were no headlines twenty or thirty years ago declaring “Billy Graham Shot And Killed While Sharing God’s Good News”!
When attempts of deranged individuals or hired assassins fail and the pope lives or President Reagan is only wounded, I thank the Lord.
Yet how can it be that in the long history of the world the finest of all persons would be arrested as a young man and roughed up and tried and spit on and convicted of blasphemy by the Jewish high court? That both Herod and Pilate would remove themselves from the process of justice and say to a hired crowd, “I’ve whipped Him senseless. Isn’t that enough for you? All right, then, what you do to Him next is your responsibility, not mine.”
Have I gotten past your mind to your feelings yet? That’s what I’ve been attempting to do.
Fiction has a way of putting us in touch with our emotions and giving us new insights. Like C.S. Lewis in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, a fiction writer says in essence, “Let me take you to another world. If you can see what’s happening there, maybe you can better comprehend what takes place in your own world.” Let’s return to Enchanted City, where another young woman who loves the King, Amanda, has sneaked into the court to observe his trial. All seems discouraging and unfair and hopeless and heavy.
“First witness,” cried the Clerk.
It was the Chief Herald, the one formerly known as Doublespeak. His friends said that he was Doublespeak no more, but Doomster, the one who pronounced judgment for the Enchanter. The emblem of the fire wizard was emblazoned on his elegant purple jersey; he wore brass armbands and a circlet of gold upon his head. “Why, I heard, I heard with my very own ears this man, this prisoner there, proclaim another kingdom, where the subjects live in the light. He attempted to entice me, me, the Chief Herald to the Enchanter, to treason.”
Someone in the courtroom called out, “Treachery!” Another shouted, “Death to pretenders!”
The Clerk banged his gavel for order. The man in the center of the courtroom spoke not a word.
Amanda studied him carefully. His shoulders sagged as though he was suffering great sorrow. He seemed drawn within himself—the proceedings in that place made no difference. It was as though he had walked into a great aloneness and was not even present.
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Sunday’s coming. Do you have your sermon ready? Is it relevant? Will it effectively motivate your congregation to walk more in step with the Master? What about that Sermon Series you’ve been thinking about?
Or, if you’re someone who plans well ahead, have you asked yourself what you will preach for your Easter Sermon, your Advent Sermon, your Christmas Sermon?
David Mains and Mainstay Ministries can help. We offer a wide variety of Sermon Starters and Full Sermons that will give you Sermon Ideas to help you prepare for regular Saturday or Sunday sermons, Mid-week Bible Sermons, and Sermons for special occasions.
We also offer assistance as you create Topical Sermons, Sermons Series, and sermons for special times of the year. We have resources available to help you with Advent Celebrations, Advent Sermons, Christmas Sermons, Easter Sunday Sermons, Patriotic Sermons, and more.
For more information on how to create better Bible Sermons and how to turn Sermon Ideas into Sermon Outlines, and then into effective, meaningful Sunday Sermons, please click here to visit David Mains’ website.
You will also find a variety of resources for pastors and congregations at the Mainstay Ministries website. Just click here.
