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Some years ago when
I was a pastor, I walked into
my church office after a Sunday morning service
to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing
three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and
anonymous saint who knew my love for chocolate
had placed them there, along with a piece of paper
that had a short story written on it. I immediately sat
down and began eating the first brownie as I read
the following story:
my church office after a Sunday morning service
to find a sandwich bag on my desk containing
three chocolate brownies. Some thoughtful and
anonymous saint who knew my love for chocolate
had placed them there, along with a piece of paper
that had a short story written on it. I immediately sat
down and began eating the first brownie as I read
the following story:
*****
Two teenagers asked their father if they could go to
the theater to watch a movie that all their friends had
seen. After reading some reviews about the movie
on the Internet, he denied their request.
"Aw dad, why not?" they complained. "It's rated
PG-13, and we're both older than thirteen!"
Dad replied: "Because that movie contains nudity
and portrays immorality, which is something that
God hates, as being normal and acceptable behavior."
"But dad, those are just very small parts of the movie!
That's what our friends who've seen it have told us.
The movie is two hours long and those scenes are
just a few minutes of the total film! It's based on a
true story, and good triumphs over evil, and there
are other redeeming themes like courage and self-sacrifice.
Even the Christian movie review web sites say that!"
"My answer is 'no,' and that is my final answer. You are
welcome to stay home tonight, invite some of your
friends over, and watch one of the good videos we have
in our home collection. But you will not go
and watch that film. End of discussion."
The two teenagers walked dejectedly into the family
room and slumped down on the couch. As they
sulked, they were surprised to hear the sounds of their
father preparing something in the kitchen. They soon
recognized the wonderful aroma of brownies baking
in the oven, and one of the teenagers said to the other,
"Dad must be feeling guilty, and now he's going to
try to make it up to us with some fresh brownies.
Maybe we can soften him with lots of praise when he
brings them out to us and persuade him to let us
go to that movie after all."
***
About that time I began eating the second brownie
from the sandwich bag and wondered if there was
some connection to the brownies I was eating
and the brownies in the story. I kept reading...
***
The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father
appeared with a plate of warm brownies which
he offered to his kids. They each took one.
Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to
tell you something: I love you both so much."
The teenagers smiled at each other with
knowing glances. Dad was softening.
"That is why I've made these brownies with the very
best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most
of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic
flour. The best free-range eggs. The best
organic sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate."
The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens
began to become a little impatient with their dad's
long speech.
"But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There
is one ingredient I added that is not usually found
in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back
yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added
the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies.
The amount of the portion is practically insignificant.
So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you
think."
"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery
ingredient is before we eat?"
"Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a
teaspoonful. You won't even taste it."
"Come on, dad, just tell us what that ingredient is."
"Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."
"Dad!"
"Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is
organic...dog poop."
***
I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie
and I spit it out into the waste basket by my desk.
I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that
still remained.
***
Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back
on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror.
"DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by
making us smell those brownies cooking for the last
half hour, and now you tell us that you added
dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!"
"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small
compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't
hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other
ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same
consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"
"No, Dad...NEVER!"
"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go
watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop
in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little
immorality in your movies? We pray that God will
not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good
conscience entertain ourselves with something that
will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will
lead us into temptation long after we first see it?
The teens were not disappointed. Soon their father
appeared with a plate of warm brownies which
he offered to his kids. They each took one.
Then their father said, "Before you eat, I want to
tell you something: I love you both so much."
The teenagers smiled at each other with
knowing glances. Dad was softening.
"That is why I've made these brownies with the very
best ingredients. I've made them from scratch. Most
of the ingredients are even organic. The best organic
flour. The best free-range eggs. The best
organic sugar. Premium vanilla and chocolate."
The brownies looked mouth-watering, and the teens
began to become a little impatient with their dad's
long speech.
"But I want to be perfectly honest with you. There
is one ingredient I added that is not usually found
in brownies. I got that ingredient from our own back
yard. But you needn't worry, because I only added
the tiniest bit of that ingredient to your brownies.
The amount of the portion is practically insignificant.
So go ahead, take a bite and let me know what you
think."
"Dad, would you mind telling us what that mystery
ingredient is before we eat?"
"Why? The portion I added was so small. Just a
teaspoonful. You won't even taste it."
"Come on, dad, just tell us what that ingredient is."
"Don't worry! It is organic, just like the other ingredients."
"Dad!"
"Well, OK, if you insist. That secret ingredient is
organic...dog poop."
***
I immediately stopped chewing that second brownie
and I spit it out into the waste basket by my desk.
I continued reading, now fearful of the paragraphs that
still remained.
***
Both teens instantly dropped their brownies back
on the plate and began inspecting their fingers with horror.
"DAD! Why did you do that? You've tortured us by
making us smell those brownies cooking for the last
half hour, and now you tell us that you added
dog poop! We can't eat these brownies!"
"Why not? The amount of dog poop is very small
compared to the rest of the ingredients. It won't
hurt you. It's been cooked right along with the other
ingredients. You won't even taste it. It has the same
consistency as the brownies. Go ahead and eat!"
"No, Dad...NEVER!"
"And that is the same reason I won't allow you to go
watch that movie. You won't tolerate a little dog poop
in your brownies, so why should you tolerate a little
immorality in your movies? We pray that God will
not lead us unto temptation, so how can we in good
conscience entertain ourselves with something that
will imprint a sinful image in our minds that will
lead us into temptation long after we first see it?
***
I discarded what remained of the second brownie as
well as the entire untouched third brownie. What
had been irresistible a minute ago had become detestable.
And only because of the very slim chance that
what I was eating was slightly polluted. (Surely
it wasn't...but I couldn't convince myself.)
What a good lesson about purity! Why do we tolerate
any sin? On the day of the Passover, the Israelites
were commanded to remove every bit of leaven from
their homes. Sin is like leaven---a little bit leavens
the whole lump (1 Cor. 5:6). Jesus, "our Passover"
(1 Cor. 5:7), and sin, don't mix.
Help us, Lord, to "cleanse ourselves from all filthiness
of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the
fear of God. (2 Cor. 7:1).
Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the
souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand
of the wicked. (Ps. 7:10).
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and
arrogance, and the evil way, and the forward mouth,
do I hate. (Prov. 8:13).
Author unknown ~
Midi: Open Our Eyes, Lord
