Love And Pedigree

Love and Pedigree

Matt 22:34-46

One New Year’s Day, in the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. The amusing thing was this float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.

Often, Christians neglect their spiritual maintenance, and though they are "clothed with power" (Luke 24:49) find themselves out of gas. (1)

In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push. After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.

Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, "Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable." He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life. For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work. (2)

Jesus quoted Moses in the Old Testament.

Deut 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deut 10:12, 11:1, 11:22, 13:3, 19:9, 30:6, 30:16, 30:20 all have the same theme.

A small rabbit – when I was young I was always self confident is reciting this verse. I could never remember whether the last word was “mind” or “might”. Good reason – Matt 22:37 it is mind and Deut 6:5 it is might.

Hang all the law.

If you have the heart, soul and mind love for God, you :

1. Will have no other gods before you.

2. Will not make any graven image.

3. Will not take the name of the Lord in vain.

4. Will remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

If you love your neighbor as you love yourself, you:

1. Will honor your father and mother.

2. Will not kill.

3. Will not commit adultery.

4. Will not steal.

5. Will not bear false witness against your neighbor.

6. Will not covet your neighbor’s possessions.

What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?

In the dog, horse or cow world, a lot of emphasis is place on bloodline or pedigree. That is another way of saying. “What were the traits of your ancestors?” I remember Norman Bass, my father-in-law, and I raised a fox trotting colt called Zane Gray’s Smoky Sam. We named him that because we wanted him to be identified with his World Champion fox trotter ancestor Zane Gray.

Shelley raises Cairn Terriers from her pet "Beagle" Penny. Penny is not really a Beagle, but rather an AKC register Cairn Terrier. Penny looks just like Toto in the Wizard of Oz, except she is blond. One family, who came to buy, was encouraged by their veterinarian to see the daddy dog before buying a puppy. We take them to see Jody, they liked what they saw and bought a puppy.

Growing up in Kansas where Daddy was also raised, I would hear many times, “Aren’t you Loran Dale’s boy?” I felt proud to say “yes” because Daddy had a good and honorable character and that was associated with his name. I believe I was given respect because of the name of my father – Loran Dale Rose.

This caused a problem for Jesus in His ministry, though. Townspeople understood Jesus to be Joseph’s son instead of the “Son of God”.

Luke 4:16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,