Keys to the Kingdom

By Carolyn Tucker

Jack’s Snacks

One evening, while home alone watching one of my favorite movies and eating dry-roasted peanuts, I whispered, “I’ve turned into my dad.” When I was a kid, Dad and I would watch TV in the evenings and he’d always eat popcorn, mixed nuts, or salted peanuts in the shell. He actually had a microwave cart (as an end table) beside his swivel rocker because he stored his snacks in it. Just in the last few years I‘ve adopted his snack  habit (minus the microwave cart). There’s always bits and pieces of our parents in us because that is God’s design. Most of us are younger replicas of our mom or dad, or a combination of both. DNA is powerful and cannot be denied or erased. Jesus said, “When you look at Me you are seeing the One who sent me” (John 12:45 TPT).

When all the disciples were together, I think Jesus may have been saddened or  disappointed with Philip’s statement, “Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied.” “Jesus answered, ’Don’t you know Me, Philip? I have been among you such a long time! Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father. So how can you say, ‘Show us the Father?’ Don‘t you believe that I am in the Father? Don‘t you believe that the Father is in Me? The words I say to you are not just My own. The Father lives in Me. He is the One who is doing His work“ (John 14:9-10 NIRV). Like Father, like Son.

While on earth, Jesus perfectly represented His Father in every aspect. All believers have a heavenly Father that’s perfect and awesome in every way. “Since you are children of a perfect Father in heaven, you are to be perfect like Him” (Matthew 5:48 TPT). If we take this verse out of context, then it sounds like a counsel of despair and impossibility. But in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is teaching on how to treat others (see Matthew 5:43-47). We are to aim at being perfect in how we love God and others. We’ll never be perfect in the sense that God is, but we are to focus on perfecting our love walk.

We are to emulate our heavenly Father rather than the messed-up worldly influencers in our culture. “Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6 NLT). It makes sense that if we claim to be a Christian we must surely live like one.

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT). Maybe this scripture is why Peter Scholtes penned the hymn lyrics, “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” All of our behavior is to be characterized by love. Apostle Peter wrote, “Respect everyone, and love your Christian brothers and sisters” (1 Peter 2:17). If love is AWOL in the Church Body, you can be sure that God is not being imitated.

Many years ago I read the book, “In His Steps” by Charles M. Sheldon. This best-selling Christian fiction novel made a positive impact on my life. The scriptures tell us that Jesus went about doing good. “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34). God is love and He is good. We are imitating  Jesus when we live our lives filled with love and go about doing good.

The Key: I doubt that God eats peanuts, but we should imitate Him anyway.

An old geezer, bored in retirement, decided to open a medical clinic.  He put a sign up outside that said, “Dr. Geezer’s clinic. Get your treatment for $500; if not cured, get back $1,000.”

Doctor Young, who was positive this old geezer didn’t know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000.  So, he went to Dr. Geezer’s clinic.

Dr. Young: “Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?”

Dr. Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young’s mouth.”

Dr. Young: “Aaagh !!–This is Gasoline!”

Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You’ve got your taste back. That will be $500.”

An annoyed Dr. Young goes back after a couple of days, figuring to recover his money.

Dr. Young: “I have lost my memory; I cannot remember anything.”

Dr. Geezer: “Nurse, please bring medicine from box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient’s mouth.”

Dr. Young: “Oh, no you don’t, — that is Gasoline!”

Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You’ve got your memory back. That will be $500.”

Dr. Young (after having lost $1000) leaves angrily and comes back in a few days.

Dr. Young: “My eyesight has become weak — I can hardly see anything!!!!”

Dr. Geezer: “Well, I don’t have any medicine for that, so here’s your $1000 back” (giving him a $10 bill).

Dr. Young: “But this is only $10!”

Dr. Geezer: “Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500.”

Moral of story — Just because you’re “Young” doesn’t mean that you can outsmart an “old Geezer.”

There are few nursing homes in Mexico.  That’s because families make tremendous sacrifices to honor the elderly, keeping them in their homes to care for them until they die.  Siblings and husband/wife teams work various shifts so that the aging parent is not left alone. Shopping centers and restaurants reveal the respect shown, as it is common to see children and grandchildren cradling the arms of their aged relatives, helping them out of the car and walking slowly to their destination.  When the elders speak, everyone listens.  Their wisdom is valued.

For 10 years, Jaime has worked as a bartender where we live in Mazatlán. His mother-in-law has lived with his family for 18 years.  Every morning, he makes breakfast for her; they sit together and catch up on what is going on in each other’s life.  Countless times, he has bowed out of morning invitations because of his “special time” with his wife’s mother.  Mexicans believe that God expects them to appreciate the elderly.  Scripture agrees:

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5, ESV) Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life. (Prov. 16:31)   Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days. (Job 12:12)                                                      

  One story is played out in the book of Ruth when Naomi’s husband moved his family from Bethlehem to Moab where he died.  Ten years later, their married, adult sons also died. Naomi opted to move back to her native country. Ruth, Naomi’s widowed daughter-in-law, insisted on accompanying her in spite of Naomi’s protests.  In the end, the Moabite Ruth married the Bethlehemite Boaz, and, generations later, Jesus was born from that union.

I wish I would have done more for my mother before she died.  I certainly had opportunities to do so.  I pray you do better than I did…before it’s too late.