Two Boys
Two young boys are playing happily in the garden and are great companions for some time, but then something bad happens. One boy gets ill and is stunted and is never the same again, while the other one grows to full and healthy mature manhood even though he suffers far more than his sick companion.
They meet up again many years later and the one who was stunted in his growth discovers he is jealous, resentful and feels sorry for himself when he sees and hears the mature one's story.
The mature one seems to have done so well in life and is in a place of favor with God and man.
But then something else happens that causes the mature one, although physically well to be mentally proud and foolish; spiritually legalistic, bigoted and let's face it, stunted and going down hill fast.
If both boys, who are openly opposed to one another, remain that way they will both end up in eternal condemnation.
The one who was sick as a boy is jealous and resentful and the legalistic one considers himself to be the best person that ever lived and oh so much better than his former companion from their time in the garden.
What can bring the two together again?
Someone who can be a “go between” and intercessor.
They do not know they need another man who will stand in the gap between them and bring them back into friendship with one another.
But then a baby is born. He grows up in the fullness of time to be a great lover of mankind. This is clearly demonstrated by his pure life, his perfect life actually, and by dying this man reconciles the two men and their families into one happy family.
God calls this new family the Body of Christ, the church, and it is made of two groups, Gentiles like us and Jews, both of whom are saved by God's grace through Christ on the cross.
By faith, the two families come to know that reconciliation and know restored fellowship in their own experience.
In the story, the sick boy represents the Gentiles; people like us and the proud man who seems outwardly to be doing so well, represents the Jews.
The “go between” in the story is of course Jesus Christ.
God in the story is... well, God.