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The Old Man And The
Sea
After a few of the usual Sunday evening hymns, the
church's pastor once again slowly stood up, walked over to the pulpit, and gave
a very brief introduction of his childhood friend.
With that, an elderly
man stepped up to the pulpit to speak, "A father, his son, and a friend of his
son were sailing off the Pacific Coast," he began, "when a fast approaching
storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore.
The waves were so high,
that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the
boat upright, and the three were swept into the ocean."
The old man
hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the
first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his
story.
He continued, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the
most excruciating decision of his life....to which boy he would throw the other
end of the line. He only had seconds to make the decision.
The father
knew that his son was a Christian, and he also knew that his son's friend was
not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of
waves.
As the father yelled out, 'I love you, son!' he threw the line to
his son's friend.
By the time he pulled the friend back to the
capsized boat, his son had disappeared beyond the raging swells into the black
of night. His body was never recovered."
By this time, the two teenagers
were sitting straighter in the pew, waiting for the next words to come out of
the old man's mouth.
"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step
into eternity with Jesus, and he could not bear the thought of his son's friend
stepping into an eternity without Jesus.
Therefore, he sacrificed his
son. How great is the love of God that He should do the same for
us."
With that, the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as
silence filled the room.
Within minutes after the service ended, the two
teenagers were at the old man's side. "That was a nice story," politely started
one of the boys, "but I don't think it was very realistic for a father to give
up his son's life in hopes that the other boy would become a
Christian."
"Well, you've got a point there," the old man replied,
glancing down at his worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, and he
once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn't very realistic, is
it?
But I'm standing here today to tell you that that story gives me
a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His Son for me."
"You see.... I was that son's friend."
Author Unknown
John 3:16 For God so
loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 15:13 Greater love has
no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
1 John
3:16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
 
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