“Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city.” (Rev. 22:14)
I have a particular
topic word in mind for today’s lesson that we’re all familiar with as of
late. That word is “negotiation.” We’ve been inundated for months
by the news media regarding the “negotiations” with Iran over their nuclear
intentions. Then there’s the forever on-going “negotiations” in Congress
over just about anything one side or the other proposes.
Leaving the world of
politics and nuclear proliferation and turning to the world of sports gives us
a whole lot more examples of “negotiation.” Is it just me or have any of
you noticed that ball players seem to always be wanting to “renegotiate” their
contracts if they’ve had a half-way decent season? Not even a great season,
just a mediocre one. Plus, it’s always a “renegotiation” upwardly for
them. I don’t recall ever seeing the club or its owners trying to
“renegotiate” downward when the player has a bad year. Wonder why?
And, let’s not leave out
the news about the “negotiating” of deals with car makers and other companies
that get caught performing badly or outright cheating in some way. They
usually do this in a courtroom setting with a judge acting as a referee of the
“negotiations” and some sort of settlement is worked out allowing the companies
to somehow benefit from the “negotiation.”
Speaking of courtroom
settings, there are “negotiations” going on daily in our courtrooms between
prosecutors and defendants as to the punishment of their crimes. Only, in
this instance, they’re not called “negotiations” they’re referred to as “plea
bargains.”
Yes, it just seems to me
that we’ve become a “negotiating society.” That just about everything
we’re familiar with is “negotiable.” I’m of the humble opinion that
a lot of this is because there are too many lawyers in our society and they are
falling all over each other while plying their trade. It almost seems to
me that lawyers (and politicians, of which most are lawyers) can’t abide any
firm or fast rules. That everything is “negotiable.”
It’s also my humble
opinion that, because the “negotiating” of things is so prevalent in our
society that many feel that it can also apply to religion. If that’s the
case, I’m quite sure that their proverbial “bubble” is going to burst.
Let’s pursue this thought for the rest of our time and space here today.
I’m reminded of a little
story I once read, written by a college physics professor. In it he
talked about a phenomenon he was seeing more and more in his classes and it was
troubling him. He said that about 10 percent of his students would either
call him, come into his office or attempt to contact him in some manner to try
and “negotiate” a passing grade after the grades had been posted.
He said that when they
saw that they had received a failing grade, their typical response was “this
just can’t be.” That they “have to pass” or be in danger of losing their
scholarship. Or of being removed from the athletic team. Whatever
their reason, they simply couldn’t fail. That there must be a way for
them to “negotiate” a better (IE: passing) grade.
Another thing he noticed
about these failing students was their attitudes regarding the whole
process. That they seemed to feel that they “deserved” to receive a
better grade because they begged for it. Because they admitted to being
sorry for their lack of effort or whatever it was that caused them to
fail.
He further said that
they were actually bewildered by the fact that he would not “negotiate” a
passing grade for them. And, they accused him of not being “fair” with
them by not changing their grade. That they felt that because they hadn’t
done the work that was required by the professor they should still pass the
class anyway. It was like, “surely we can negotiate, work this
out.” However, he never changed a grade. He refused to “negotiate”
with them. They got what they got.
I love that little story
and I just wish there were more teachers and professors like him that set rules
and then stick by them. There are many examples of “negotiations” in the
Bible but, one that comes readily to my mind is found in Matt. 25:1-12.
It’s in those verses that we read the parable of the 10 virgins, half of which
were wise and the other half foolish.
This is really a simple
lesson being taught by Jesus about the coming “kingdom of heaven.” What we see
here in this little parable is that those who were prepared (the “wise” ones) were allowed
into the wedding feast when the “bridegroom”
returned and the unprepared (the “foolish”
ones) were not.
But, notice what the 5
foolish and unprepared ones tried to do. They attempted to “negotiate”
their way in to the party. They went to the door and cried “Lord, Lord, open up to us.”
(Vs. 11) It’s similar to what the professor was writing about with
his students. It’s like the foolish virgins were saying “please, let us
in even though we didn’t do what we should have done.” Notice the answer
they received from the other side of the door: “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”
The plight of the “foolish” virgins fits well
with something Jesus said in Matt. 7:21 “Not
everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of
heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Just like the students
who enrolled in the professor’s class and showed up every now and then, but
didn’t really prepare for the class. Simply enrolling doesn’t cut
it. They actually had to “do”
the work necessary to receive a passing grade.
Let me close with one
more thought regarding being prepared for “the
kingdom of heaven.” Of what’s required for a grade that
allows passage into that eternal location. In Rev. 22:12 Jesus says that
He’s going to return and bring with Him a “reward”
for those who have “done”
what was required.
And, what is it that
we’re supposed to have “done”
in order to receive this “reward?”
Let’s read verse 14 together (again) for our closing thought.
"Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.”
Regardless of what
society may think, there will be no “negotiation” with God over who deserves to
be in heaven.
Ron Covey
