5/5/13

From Jim McGuiggan... WHAT'S THE MATTER GEORGE?


WHAT'S THE MATTER GEORGE?

Didn’t I tell you that George Dawson made it to 103 and that not long before he died he wrote a book called Life is so Good. When George was a boy of twelve, the oldest of the children, poor, black, and away from home for the first time, he was working on Mr. Little’s farm. It was 1910. His family worked every waking hour to make a living out of the farm but things became especially hard with poor crops and mortgage payments. Mr. Dawson agreed that George could go work for Mr. Little. This would mean one less mouth to feed and a wage coming in.
Like so many others this boy had had to become a man long before he was a teenager. Even so, away from home, eating alone, sleeping alone in a tiny shack away from the main house, alone I said, sleeping on a wooden platform with a corn husk mattress on top—that was a burden and a half. He was twelve years old, for pity’s sake.
At home he slept with his brothers and sisters and when he visited the Coals and stayed the night they just squeezed him into the bed with their kids. Now away from home, "I would have given anything," he said, "for a crowded bed with my brothers and sisters sleeping and breathing next to me." How deep the need in us for warm human companionship.
"And then I thought of Mama’s biscuits. It would have been okay in the daytime when I was working. But someidn’t I tell you that George Dawson made it to 103 and that not long before he died he wrote a book called Life is so Good. When George was a boy of twelve, the oldest of the children, poor, black, and away from home for the first time, he was working on Mr. Little’s farm. It was 1910. His family worked every waking hour to make a living out of the farm but things became especially hard with poor crops and mortgage payments. Mr. Dawson agreed that George could go work for Mr. Little. This would mean one less mouth to feed and a wage coming in.

Like so many others this boy had had to become a man long before he was a teenager. Even so, away from home, eating alone, sleeping alone in a tiny shack away from the main house, alone I said, sleeping on a wooden platform with a corn husk mattress on top—that was a burden and a half. He was twelve years old, for pity’s sake.

At home he slept with his brothers and sisters and when he visited the Coals and stayed the night they just squeezed him into the bed with their kids. Now away from home, "I would have given anything," he said, "for a crowded bed with my brothers and sisters sleeping and breathing next to me." How deep the need in us for warm human companionship.

"And then I thought of Mama’s biscuits. It would have been okay in the daytime when I was working. But somehow out there by myself in the shed, thinking of her biscuits only made me cry. Mrs. Little made good biscuits, but they weren’t Mama’s. I wanted to be strong, but I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted someone, Mama or Papa, to say it would be okay, or even for one of the little ones to ask, ‘What’s the matter, George?’ "Even for one of the little ones to ask, 'What’s the matter, George?'"

There’s something about that phrase.

The combined innocence of a child’s question and a twelve year old who must be a man before he has been allowed to be a boy. Oh, ohhhh, what a pain-filled world where children bear so much of the hardship and oh what a lovely sight it is to come across adults whose only interest in children is to nurture and help. How profoundly important are good deeds that are done—something kind, something sensitive and strong. [You remember some of those, don't you? Lovely things you did that you can't help being pleased about. Lovely things that deliver you from utter and complete self-despising when you know that you, at least a few times, rose to a brave and compassionate act that defied the world-spirit.]

How precious the memories of kindnesses are that make a child believe that the world is not all darkness or sleaze or cruelty. A flash of lightning, brief but it let’s you get your bearings in the dark. And how sweet it is to see a concerned face, a little face, too young to be hypocritical, looking at you with a mixture of wonder and pain and a universe of sympathy. How blessed the memory that someone made your tears and your aching heart their concern, with a tiny voice and big lovely, sincere question, "What’s the matter George?" How do you think George Dawson made it to 103 with a great spirit, having seen and felt all he saw and felt?

And who, if anyone, is going to look back and remember me at any age saying, "What’s the matter George?"



©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.



Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.
how out there by myself in the shed, thinking of her biscuits only made me cry. Mrs. Little made good biscuits, but they weren’t Mama’s. I wanted to be strong, but I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted someone, Mama or Papa, to say it would be okay, or even for one of the little ones to ask, ‘What’s the matter, George?’ "Even for one of the little ones to ask, 'What’s the matter, George?'"
There’s something about that phrase.
The combined innocence of a child’s question and a twelve year old who must be a man before he has been allowed to be a boy. Oh, ohhhh, what a pain-filled world where children bear so much of the hardship and oh what a lovely sight it is to come across adults whose only interest in children is to nurture and help. How profoundly important are good deeds that are done—something kind, something sensitive and strong. [You remember some of those, don't you? Lovely things you did that you can't help being pleased about. Lovely things that deliver you from utter and complete self-despising when you know that you, at least a few times, rose to a brave and compassionate act that defied the world-spirit.]
How precious the memories of kindnesses are that make a child believe that the world is not all darkness or sleaze or cruelty. A flash of lightning, brief but it let’s you get your bearings in the dark. And how sweet it is to see a concerned face, a little face, too young to be hypocritical, looking at you with a mixture of wonder and pain and a universe of sympathy. How blessed the memory that someone made your tears and your aching heart their concern, with a tiny voice and big lovely, sincere question, "What’s the matter George?" How do you think George Dawson made it to 103 with a great spirit, having seen and felt all he saw and felt?
And who, if anyone, is going to look back and remember me at any age saying, "What’s the matter George?"

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... The Source Of True Defilement


                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                The Source Of True Defilement (7:14-23)

INTRODUCTION

1. When confronted by the Pharisees and scribes regarding eating with
   unclean hands...
   a. Jesus described the danger of traditions - Mk 7:1-13
   b. How they can make our worship vain and the commands of God void
      - ibid.

2. Jesus then used the occasion to teach concerning true defilement...
   a. First to the multitude - Mk 7:14-16
   b. Then privately to His disciples - Mk 7:17-23

[Having the benefit of both His public and private teaching in Mark's
gospel, we can learn "The Source Of True Defilement."  From Jesus
remarks to both the multitude and His disciples we learn that it is...]

I. NOT THE FOOD

   A. DIETARY RESTRICTIONS IN THE PAST...
      1. From the Creation, man (and animals) may have been vegetarian
         - Gen 1:29-30
      2. After the Flood, God gave animals as food, but not their blood
         - Gen 9:3-4
      3. With the Law of Moses, Israelites were restricted in their diet
         - Lev 11:1-47
      -- In Old Testament times, God did have some stringent dietary
         guidelines

   B. DIETARY FREEDOMS IN THE PRESENT...
      1. Jesus has declared all foods clean - Mk 7:14-19
         a. To the multitude, Jesus hints at the source of true
            defilement - Mk 7:14-16
         b. To His disciples, He explains His parable - Mk 7:17-19
         c. "...purifying all foods" is likely a parenthetical statement
            - Mk 7:19
         d. For while the Law of Moses was in force, Jesus observed it
            in full - cf. Mt 5:17-18
         e. Thus Mark's parenthetical statement was intended for
            disciples living after the cross
      2. Paul later taught that all food is acceptable
         a. Teaching to abstain from foods would be a sign of apostasy
            - 1Ti 4:1-3
         b. Nothing is to be refused when received with thanksgiving and
            prayer - 1Ti 4:4-5
      3. There are a few exceptions...
         a. Things offered to idols, blood, and things strangled - 
            Ac 15:28-29; 21:25
         b. Especially when connected to idolatry - 1Co 10:19-23; Re 2:14,20
         c. When certain foods becomes a stumbling block to the weak
            - Ro 14:14-21; 1Co 8:8-13
      -- From the New Testament, we learn of the dietary freedom we have
         in Christ

[From what Jesus taught His disciples, true defilement comes not from
food...]

II. BUT THE HEART

   A. MAN HAS A HEART PROBLEM...
      1. The heart (mind) is a fountain out of which much that impacts
         life flows - Pr 4:23
      2. Affected by sin, it becomes deceitful and wicked - Ec 9:3; Jer 17:9
      3. Thus the heart is a source of much evil that defiles man - Mk 7:20-23
      -- The heart (or mind) of man is the real source of defilement

   B. EVIL THOUGHTS LEAD TO TRUE DEFILEMENT...
      1. Evil thoughts
         a. The general term translated 'evil thoughts' precedes the
            verb in the Greek text and is viewed as the root of various
            evils which follow - Bible Knowledge Commentary
         b. Evil thoughts generated in a heart unite with one's will to
            produce evil words and actions - ibid.
      2. Adulteries
         a. Illicit sexual relations by a married person
         b. Which Jesus said could occur in the heart - Mt 5:27-28
      3. Fornications
         a. Illicit sexual activities of various kinds, prompted by lust
            - cf. 1Th 4:3-5
         b. Including pre-marital sex, homosexuality, etc.
      4. Murders
         a. Taking life intentionally
         b. Which is connected to hate in the heart - 1Jn 3:15
      5. Thefts
         a. Stealing
         b. Including shoplifting, pilfering, etc.
      6. Covetousness
         a. Greediness
         b. Which makes one an idolater - Ep 5:5; Col 3:5
      7. Wickedness
         a. Evil acts
         b. Done with malice
      8. Deceit - acting with guile and intent to defraud
      9. Lewdness
         a. Unrestrained and unconcealed immoral behavior
         b. Closely related to lust - cf. Ro 13:13
     10. An evil eye - a Hebrew idiom for stinginess - cf. Pr 28:22
     11. Blasphemy - slander, verbal abuse against God or man
     12. Pride - arrogance, boastful opinion of one's self, often with
         disdain toward others
     13. Foolishness - lack of common sense, with moral and spiritual
         insensitivity
      -- Such sins prompted by evil thoughts are what truly defile us!

CONCLUSION

1. Today, many people choose to restrict their diet...
   a. Some for health reasons (allowed by the liberty we have in Christ)
   b. Others for religious reasons (not bound by the liberty we have in
      Christ)

2. From Christ and His apostles, we learn that all foods have been
   declared clean...
   a. When received with thanksgiving
   b. When sanctified by prayer

Thus we learn where our true focus should be:  removing that defilement
which springs from sinful hearts (Ep 4:17-24; 1Pe 4:1-3).  It begins
with obedience to the gospel of Christ... - cf. Ac 2:38; 22:16



Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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