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One
Wish Only! Proverbs
3: 13 – 20; 1 Corinthians 1: 26 - 31 Once
upon a time, on an island kingdom, there lived a very old man. His eyes
showed the wisdom of the years and though he was ragged in appearance,
there was gentleness about him. One
day as he was walking through the forest, he was attacked by a band of
robbers. They beat him, took the little money he had, and left him to die
by the roadside. The
old man remained by the edge of the road, bruised and sore, for quite some
hours until three soldiers happened to come past. They helped the old man
to his feet, attended to his bruises and escorted him home. A
few days later, the soldiers returned to see how the old man was faring.
He had nearly recovered and was so grateful to them that he said, “I owe
my life to you gentlemen. In return I will grant you whatever you wish.
But be very cautious,” he continued, “I will grant you one wish
each.” The
soldiers though the old man was perhaps too old. Who could grant
another’s wish? But they had nothing to lose, so they humoured him. The first soldier,
who was rather poor, said,
“Old man, I have thought carefully and I
wish for wealth.” As soon as he had made his wish, a trunk full of
treasure appeared beside him. The wish had come true! They were all
astounded. The soldier thanked the old man sincerely and went home with
his riches. As
he left, the old man closed his eyes and he could see that the soldier
would live comfortably with his wealth. He would have many friends and the
best food and wine. But the old man could also see that the soldier’s
riches would eventually run out and he would lose his friends. He
would be poor again! Now
the second soldier, who was rather ugly, went to the old man and said, “Old man, I have thought
carefully too and my wish is to be handsome.”
As soon as he had made his wish, the soldier felt his face change
– he had become remarkably handsome! He thanked the old man sincerely
and went home with his good looks. As
he left, the old man closed his eyes and he could see that the soldier
would live happily with his good looks. He would have many friends and
would be very popular with women. But the old man could also see that as
the soldier grew older, he would lose his good looks and his friends, He
would be ugly again! Now
the third soldier was rather poor and ugly. He also wished his wish,
thanked the old man sincerely and went home. As
he left the old man closed his eyes and he could see that this soldier
would remain rather poor and ugly all his life.
But would live in peace, for his wish was simply to be happy with whatever
he had. [C
Arcodia, Stories to Share p.87f] This
story raises the twin issues of the search for happiness
and the wisdom
to uncover it. To put it another way what do we need to do that
will give us a good life? Of course we don’t just get one chance to make
life worthwhile, but sometimes it feels like that. And certainly God does
not say, well you have only one go. But,
and it is a big ‘but’, we can’t keep on making decisions that lead
nowhere, or not making decisions about how we will live our lives. I
don’t think we ever not make a decision, because even the non-decision
or the indecision is a decision in itself. What
confronts us is not the question of wisdom. We won’t get very far trying
to decide what wisdom is. The philosophers can’t reach agreement, and
different religions offer different answers. What
confronts us is how we live and act so that life will be good for all – for
everything. And we know that that would be good. The
story of one wish only
is a helpful story because it reminds us that; Ø
We need to make right choices; Ø
Our values
will determine our action; Ø
Right valuing will lead to goodness. Two
of the soldiers valued things that in due time would pass away, the third
longed for something deeper and bigger. So
playing the game of ‘one wish only’ is not a bad idea because it makes
us think. The story itself
calls us to reflect on what should I do that will help me, and those about
me, and others and this world I live in be a better place. Surely all of
us here can see that this is not about self-interest. When we are at our
best we know that what is good for others is good for us. The
Bible
says
that wisdom is the
root of happiness as the writer of Proverbs says; Happy
is the man who finds wisdom … [Prov
3: 13].
Wisdom is the foundation of living, and the
foundation of the earth according to the writer of Proverbs [Prov
3: 19]. In Proverbs chapter 8
wisdom is personalised and seen and described as the first born of
creation [Prov 8:22]. And
Christian scholars have tended to understand that Wisdom is another
name for the Christ whom
John’s Gospel names the Logos that co-created the world.
So however you look at it ‘wisdom’ is tied to God. That is, to be wise is to be godly. However
we look at it friends we need ask ourselves what would we wish to make the
best of life, for we all want that. Joshua said to the Israelites “Who
will you serve, as for me, I will serve God who has delivered us from the
hands of the Egyptians”[Joshua 24:15].
For Joshua had experienced the goodness of God. For
me to follow Jesus Christ, who said that he was the way, the truth and the
life, and learn of his ways is a wise decision that leads to blessedness
and peace [John 14:6]. ******* [This
sermon is shorter due to the fact that this service this day has had to
accommodate a Baptism, our monthly Holy Communion service, a
local celebration of inter-church unity and Anzac Day, which
we honour as a congregation.] Peter
C Whitaker, BUC: 27/04/2008
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