To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty,
give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals
on his head." Romans 12:20 The five-year-old boy was at a fast-food
restaurant with his mother, brother and sister.
I'm proud to say
the family, just because they were surrounded by others, saw no need to
change their custom of praying before their meal. The boy asked if he
could say the prayer. They bowed their heads, and he led them.
Loudly, he began with the common table prayer: "Come, Lord Jesus, be our
Guest, and let these gifts to us be blest." Then, he added, "And, Lord,
if mom would add the gift of fruit pies for dessert, I would be even
more thankful. God, this is Your friend, Danny, signing out for the
entire family. Amen."
Many of the people at the other tables
smiled, especially at that last part.
Most did, but not all.
At the next booth, with her back to the family, a lady whispered so
all could hear, "No wonder this country has gone to the dogs. Kids today
don't even know how to say their prayers. As if God doesn't have other
things to do than provide fruit pies. And since when do we 'sign out' at
the end of a prayer."
She said other things, but you get the
drift.
The boy who had prayed, with deep concern etched into his
face, asked his mom, "Was that a bad prayer? I didn't know I shouldn't
pray for fruit pies."
Mom said, "Danny, I'm sure God liked your
prayer."
Her comforting was complimented by an older man who
leaned across the aisle, smiled, and said to the boy, "I've been praying
for a lot of years, and if I know God like I think I do, He would rate
that prayer as being one of the best He's heard. In fact, I think it's a
shame more people don't ask Him for fruit pies. You know, fruit pies can
be good for our hearts and souls."
Unsurprisingly, mom did buy
fruit pies for the entire family. She warned her children, "Take it
slow. They're hot." During the mother-mandated cooling time, the little
boy picked up his fruit pie, knelt on the booth seat, turned around, and
tapped the shoulder of the lady who had critiqued his prayer.
When she turned, the lad encouraged, "Here, I want you to have my fruit
pie. Fruit pies sometimes can be good for our hearts and souls, you
know."
And that, my friends, is as fine an example as I have ever
seen of heaping burning coals upon someone's head.
You see, most
people when they insult you expect an insult in return. But that's not
what Christians do, is it? We (ought to) return kindheartedness for
abuse and gentleness for the world's harshness. We do that not because
it drives them nuts or because we want to heap coals of fire or even
because we think in doing so we will show them we can rise above their
pettiness.
We do it because that's what Jesus did for sinful
humanity. We do it because He wants His followers to love others, even
as He has loved and sacrificed Himself for us.
THE PRAYER: Dear
Lord, there is not a practicing Christian who has managed to escape the
taunts and insults of the world. Grant that we may deal with this kind
of abuse in a way that brings honor and respect to the Savior. May we
teach those who offend us that the forgiveness the Christ has won for us
-- like fruit pies -- is good for our hearts and souls. In Jesus' Name
we pray it. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour
Ministries All rights reserved; not
to be duplicated without permission.
