One morning a mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin, 5, and Ryan, 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. “If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, ‘Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'” Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, “Ryan, you be Jesus!”
When a friend sent me this in an email, it gave me a good laugh, but as I thought about it, it made me think of how true Kevin’s statement is for so many of us. How many of us expect people to be honest with us? Whether we admit it or not, all of us expect it. Even the crook expects not to be cheated by others and calls foul when they do.
The command to be Christ-like was not given as a suggestion. The Bible says we are to “Love our neighbor as ourselves.” – Matthew 19:19. Our neighbor is anyone we come in contact with. The Bible also tells us that we are to treat others the same way we would want them to treat us – Luke 6:31. These are Christ-like attitudes. Unfortunately, too many of us instead say in the words of a five-year-old. “You be Jesus.”
This truth goes even further as we are to display a Christ-like attitude even if it is not given in return – Romans 12:20-21. This does not mean we do not speak the truth to one another: Ephesians 4:25 “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” This too is to be done in love – Ephesians 4:15.
This five-year-old probably didn’t understand the gravity of his words, but we do. Who is it that you expect to respond like or speak like Jesus? Sometimes it is out of the mouth of babes that God teaches us.
Would you like to know more? We would love to speak with you. Call us at 425-432-0634, or contact us at www.taylorcreekchurch.org. We invite you to join us for Sunday service: 9:00 AM for Sunday School and 10:15 AM for Worship. Address: 21110 244th Ave. S.E., Maple Valley.
