Anyone Could, but….
Rev. Dan Mahan
James 4:17”Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.”
Darlene and I love to go to thrift stores and flea markets. One day, while at a thrift store, I picked up an old children’s reading book-you know the kind with all of the different stories and poems in it. It was the kind that I hated to read when I was in school, but for some reason I was drawn to the book and began to glance through it. There was a children’s play in the book that caught my eye. The name of the play is “Anyone could, but..” by Bernice Carlson.” The moral of the storyline in the play is one that we need to hear over and over again. Needless to say, I bought the book home and read the story occasionally to my granddaughters. (Book name is Tapestry by Houghton Mifflin Company, 1978).
The story goes like this:
A king has a hole dug in the middle of a road and puts a pot of gold in the hole. When Lord Chamberlain exclaims that the stone is in the way, the king replies that the stone will help him to find someone. The King states that he is worried about his people. They have forgotten how to help themselves and how to help one another. The two hide, as two shepherds pass by. The shepherds see the stone in the middle of the road and are upset that it may be in the way of any sheep going down the path. “I hope someone tells the king about this.”, they say as they walk off. Then two women pass by. They wonder what in the world is coming to, to allow a stone to lie in the middle of a road. They are afraid someone will get hurt. “Where is the king?”, they ask as they walk by. Then two men appear-merchants. The stone, they fear, may get in people’s way and hurt their business. How could the king slip up, to let a stone to stay in the middle of the road? Then, little Greg comes down the road. “Wow. Look at that stone. Lucky I saw it
Before it gets dark. Someone might have been hurt. “Greg pushes on the stone until it is on the side of the road. Then he sees the gold in the hole. He assumes it is the king’s gold, since no one else would have so much money. Because there was too much gold for a little boy to carry, he starts off to tell the king.” That is when Lord Chamberlain and the king come out of hiding. “Wait, lad, I’ve been looking for you.” the king yells. Greg tries to convince the king that he did not steal the gold. The king assures him that he knows he didn’t because he had seen and planned it all.” “I have been looking for someone in my land who thinks of others. I waited all day, lad. “Greg couldn’t believe the king had waited all day. “Why, anyone could move that stone.” He exclaimed. “Anyone could do it, but only you did do it. Thank you, lad. The gold is yours.”
In the play, everyone saw the need, but chose to walk on by. They refused to meet that need. Reminds me of another story. It is a story told by Jesus in Luke 10: 30. You know the story. It is the story of the Good Samaritan. (Tell the story.)
Jesus taught that true discipleship will express itself by serving others in need. That. does not mean that salvation is based on good works. Salvation clearly rests on God’s grace, not on our achievements. Yet real faith expresses itself in humble, sacrificial service to others. Listen to what James says in James 2:15-18: “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him “Go, I wish you well, keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical need, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead. But someone will say “You have faith, I have deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith –HOW?? BY WHAT I DO.” Genuine commitment to Christ compels us to meet the needs of others I once read a quote by Martin Luther which I love: ”Faith is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, so that it is impossible for it not to be constantly doing what is good. Likewise, faith does not ask if good works are to be done, but before one can ask, faith has already done them and is constantly active” Have you ever thought of faith as busy? Is yours? (Formula of Concord, SD, IV, 10-11 http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=5561
The king in Carlson’s story put the people to the test as does our King. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, all three men saw a need. Two of them, the religious leaders, passed on by. Why didn’t they stop and help? Perhaps they were waiting on someone else to do it-some one better trained, more powerful, more talented. Perhaps they were just too busy. Oh how many times does a pastor hear “I’m just too busy.” Society today confuses busyness with entertainment. How often does our world revolve around sport events, television, or other forms of entertainment that we do not have time to think of helping others.
Perhaps the men were just selfish, thinking of their own needs. It takes effort and time. It is too hard for me. Someone needs to do it. It is too easy. It is such a simple thing. Anyone can do it. I will let someone else. It’s not my place. It’s not my job. Darlene reminded me this week that it was not just her job to fill the empty toilet paper roll at home. “Anyone can do it,” she said. How many men does it take to change a toilet paper roll? We don’t know. It never has happened!
Perhaps the men were just indifferent and uncaring. Maybe they had a fear of getting involved. Maybe they felt it would be a waste of their time or they could not make a difference. “I’m just one person. What difference can I make? How can I move stones by myself?
Just as the King in Carlson’s story is watching to see who serves others, so is our King watching to see who will serve others. Matt 25:37-39 reads “ Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?” And the King will tell them, “I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me?” This indicates Christ is watching to see if our faith has feet, hands, and hearts to help others in need. Serving others is an expression of our love for Christ. Christ says that when we do these things for others, we are doing them for Him. Would you walk on by past Jesus? Jesus said in Matt 20:28 “Just as Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” We should have the same attitude of sacrificial service to others.
If you were in Carson’s story, which character would you be? If you were in the parable, would you be the one that walked by or the one that helped meet a need? Will you be the somebody who did it or the anyone could, but…NOT ME!
There’s a fun song Darlene and I taught our children’s choir a few years. The song was one sung by Acappella and written by Keith Lancaster. The chorus goes like this: “Eberyboty said dat anyboty could do De important tings someboty should do. Eberyboty know dat anyboty could do All de good tings dat nobody ded.” Try singing it with me.
The King is looking for someone to do his work. Everyone should do it. Anyone could do it. I could do it. You could do it. BUT- will we?
