A Hand In The Hand

There is a beautiful story about a child playing with a vase his
mother had left on the table for a few moments. When the mother turned
at the sound of her son crying she saw that his hand was in the vase and
was apparently stuck. She tried to help him and pulled and pulled until
the child cried out in pain. But the hand was stuck fast. How would
they get it out?

The father suggested breaking the vase but it was quite valuable and
the child’s hand might be cut in the process. Yet he knew that if all
else failed there would be no other alternative. So he said to the boy,
‘Now, let’s make one more try. Open your hand and stretch your fingers
out straight, like I’m doing, and then pull!’ ‘But Dad,’ said the boy,
‘if I do that I’ll lose my penny!’

The boy had had a coin in his hand all the time and was holding it
securely in his tight little fist. And he wasn’t prepared to open his
hand and lose the penny. But once he opened his hand it came out of the
vase easily.

That vase can be likened to the entrance to the Kingdom of God. It
is narrow but quite easy to pass in, but first you must open your hand
to God – a hand in the hand. But we like to keep our fists closed and
hold fast to what we have and keep it for ourselves. There is nothing
wrong with money and possessions – it is only when they assume an
importance beyond their value in life that problems arise. I had a
friend for many years who seemed to be preoccupied with money and the
need to get it. It didn’t seem to give him pleasure, only the worry of
investing it to obtain the best advantage. I conducted his burial
service not long ago and it brought home to me that you can’t take it
with you. We arrived with nothing and will depart the same way.

Jesus told the parable of the rich man who wanted to build bigger
barns to store his grain and goods. But God said to him,  ŽYou fool!
This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get
what you have prepared for yourself?’ We need to be on guard, or the
things we own will begin to own us. It is our own clenched fist that
makes us a prisoner. Open your hand to the hand of God.

Have a good week.

Pastor Ron

Optional Bible reading: Luke 12:13 to 34

This is one of a series of weekly messages of encouragement
originating from the Derwent Valley, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
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