LOOKING FOR A LOOPHOLE…?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
Text: Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
What would it take to make me happy? What if every dream and wish I had came true? What if I had everything I wanted and I lost my family? I lost my eternal hope? Is there some kind of loophole that would be worth eternity in hell? TRADE NOTHING FOR ALL?
THERE IS A BIG QUESTION WE NEED TO HONESTLY EVALUATE… WHO CARES?
Who cares for that child that parents scream and fight all day? Who cares for the bad boy at school? Who cares for the teenager in a struggle? Who cares for the drunk? Who cares for that police person? Who cares for WIDOWS and ORPHANS? WHO CARES…
Psalm 142:4 I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.
The world is looking for someone to understand and care. We talk about all the people that don’t seem to care about us. The question is does anyone care? No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.
LET US CONSIDER 3 WORDS? PRICE, VALUE AND WORTH. DOES MY VALUE SYSTEM CHANGE AS I GET OLDER? WHAT WOULD YOUR VALUE SYSTEM BE IF YOU HAD ONE WEEK TO LIVE… 98 HOURS? HOW WOULD YOU TALK IF YOU HAD 24 HOURS, 1440 MINUTES LEFT TO LIVE?
Why do I feel this way? We do not see things the way they are… We see things the way we are…
WHAT WILL I CLING TO? WHO CARES? WHAT DO I CARE ABOUT? WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING THAT I OWN? WHAT WOULD YOU TRADE?
Adam and Eve traded for fruit? Cain traded Abel for a cheap offering? Achan traded gold, silver and fancy clothes? Judas traded for 30 pieces of silver? LOT’S WIFE TRADED FOR A LOOK BACK… What are you trading?
WHAT LOOPHOLE DO WE SEARCH TO FIND?
Luke 10:29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
*LOOPHOLE: way to evade, escape obligation, a way to avoid, a small narrow window in a castle used to shoot at enemies, ambiguity or inadequacy in rules, way of escape, omission, technicality that allows legal bypass.
*JUSTIFY… To prove you are right or reasonable, declare righteousness, to show a good reason, to be worthy, valid.
GODLY JUSTIFICATION: God moves a willing person from the state of sin to the state of grace, mercy.
JUSTIFIED BY FAITH: God removes the condemnation, guilt and penalty of sin.
*VINDICATE… to clear someone of blame or suspicion, to show or prove right, to be free from blame, to free from allegation.
*VALUE… importance, worth, usefulness, what is important, estimate, consider benefits.
WE TEND TO LOVE OUR OWN KIND… OFTEN WE SEARCH FOR A WAY TO EXCUSE OUR BEHAVIOR, A LOOPHOLE--- LET US SEARCH FOR A DEFINITION OF NEIGHBOR? Jesus’ answer made the lawyer nervous. He was anxious and began making excuses "But who is my neighbor?" THIS SIGNALS THIS LAWYER PROBABLY WAS SELECTIVE AND LOVED PEOPLE LIKE HIM… NOT OTHERS. WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR?
We find God has TWO LAWS THAT HINGE TOGETHER… 1. LOVE GOD… 2. LOVE OTHERS.
NEIGHBOR’S DEFINITION IS MORE THAN THE PERSON LIVING NEXT DOOR… NOW GO AND DO LIKEWISE… JESUS’ PERSPECTIVE WAS CLEAR… ANYONE THAT HELPS ANOTHER IN NEED --- THE ONE THAT SHOWS MERCY IS A NEIGHBOR…
Luke 10:36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Is the religious leader a neighbor? Is the Levite a neighbor? Is the enemy the neighbor? Now be honest which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked? The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.” DO THE SAME MY FRIEND…
THE LOVE OF GOD… THE LOVE OF OTHERS IS TO SERVE, SHARE JOY, FAITHFULNESS AND HELP THOSE IN NEED… Love others as Christ loves you. ARE YOU A GOOD SAMARITAN? Are you the one that shows mercy to the hurt and injured…
Love neighbor as self… AS used HERE IS AN IMPERATIVE WORD, be generous, kind, compassionate starts at home… We must do things to edify and build up others.
ACCIDENTLY, COINCIDENCE OR ON PURPOSE?
There were two precious brothers. They loved each other. Their parents owned a huge farm. The brothers worked in harmony alongside their mom and dad for years. Suddenly and unexpectedly the father and mother died. One brother went to a lawyer about the division of the land. The other brother hired another lawyer and the farm was tied up in court several years. The brothers never talked for years. They attended the same church. One sat on the left. The other sat on the right. The brothers could not stand the sight of the other. Both felt cheated in the land division. They would not even wave at each other when they passed. There was a river that divided the property.
One day the one brother won several million dollars in the lottery. He decided to take his wife to Hawaii for a long vacation. Before they flew away, the rich brother hired the best carpenter in town to build a high fence so he did not have to see his mean brother. The old carpenter was very good but he was almost deaf. The carpenter ordered all the materials and started the work as the millionaire and his family boarded the jet to spend two months in Hawaii. The carpenter hired a large crew and began the work. The old carpenter built the strongest and most beautiful BRIDGE known in those parts. The bridge crossed the river and connected the two adjacent farms. This really touched the brother at home. He went over to his rich brother’s farm and plowed and planted crops for him. They cut the hay and put it in the barn. The brother was so pleased that his mean brother was building this bridge to bring them together again.
After two months the bridge was complete. It was beautiful. The brother flew home and was so surprised. His brother had worked his farm, painted the house and worked so hard. The brother gathered the whole community to celebrate the return of his brother. There was a huge meal and they all hugged and rejoiced. The rich brother said what is all of this? We had not talked in several years? The brother said: WE ARE SO PROUD OF THAT BRIDGE YOU HAD BUILT TO BRING OUR FAMILIES BACK TOGETHER. He enquired: WHAT BRIDGE? The one the old hard hearing carpenter built.
The brother was amazed at the bridge. He thought: WHAT A MIRACLE, I TOLD HIM TO BUILD A WALL TO SEPARATE US. MAYBE IT WAS GOD THAT HE MISUNDERSTOOD AND BUILT A BRIDGE. The two families lived happily ever after? A coincidence or accident? Maybe God was in the bridge?
CONCLUSION: How can I prove this stick is straight or crooked? One easy way is to lay a straight edge down beside the stick? The straight will tell… DO I CARE? AM I LOOKING FOR A LOOPHOLE BY DEBATING WHO IS MY NEIGHBOR? I have loved this poem since childhood. My Dad often used this poem in his sermon.
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
By Will Allen Dromgoole
An old man going a lone highway.
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side,
And built a bridge to span the tide.
“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,
“You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You will never again pass this way;
You’ve crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?”
The builder lifted his old gray head;
“Good friend, in the path I have come,” he said,
“There followed after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To this fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!”
There is no loophole your neighbors need you.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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