Sand Mountain Sermonette 42
Luke 2:41-42
The Five-cent Bully
“And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not my will, but Yours be done.’”
Luke 2:41-42
If you are an authentic Sand Mountain Alabamian, you have a place in your heart for “The Andy Griffith Show.” In one memorable episode, Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son, Opie, is walking to elementary school one morning when he rounds a familiar building downtown only to face a familiar bully, about his age, who is threatening to give Opie a punch in the face if he does not hand over the nickel he’s been given to pay for his milk at lunchtime that day. So, what does Opie do? He hands his nickel over to the bully out of fear of being punched in the face!
The next morning Opie stops off at the courthouse and asks his “Pa” if he might have two nickels that morning in case he loses one. But after hearing this request, Deputy Barney Fife decides to carry out his familiar sleuth work and secretly observes the bully in action. After reporting to Sheriff Taylor what has happened, Andy decides to have a talk with his son about the importance of standing up for what is right even when you’re afraid of what may happen.
The next morning Opie’s off for school and we see Andy and Barney pacing the floor, wondering what will happen. Later that afternoon, in bursts Opie complete with a big shiner around one of eyes and a big smile on his face! And in response to his Pa’s comment about the black eye, Opie says, “Yea, Pa, isn’t one of the best one’s you’ve ever seen?” And we know that after that day, the bully was not only defeated once and for all, but Opie would be able to keep all that belonged to him, from that day forward!
In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ, the Son of God won the battle for the cross and for His own now and forever! For it was in the garden, Satan the Chief Antagonist to the will God pressed in hard, but it was also in that place of prayer Jesus stood strong in His will to obey the Father and go to the cross! But there something else we must not miss!
Have you ever been afraid to talk honestly with God in prayer? “Lord, I’m weak, I don’t know if I can do this?” “Lord, I’m afraid; if there is any other way, could you choose that way for me instead of this one?” Notice, before Jesus prayed, “yet not my will, but Yours be done” he prayed, “Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me.” In Mark’s account of the Garden of Gethsemane, he includes Jesus’ praying, “everything is possible for you (Father).”
Pete Greig says, “Still holding onto God’s power…[Jesus] appears to go off script by continuing with, “take this cup from me.” He adds, “It is hard to overstate the extent to which these five words, at the heart of Christ’s prayer in Gethsemane, have given permission to people ever since to pray imperfectly, honestly, and even improperly at times of tribulation.” Be honest with God. He loves and understands your prayer!
Pastor Louie