Thoughts from the Thicket
San Jacinto Newstimes - February 2008
By Dr. Don Shannon

Do you enjoy jokes?  I sure do.  I enjoy hearing them and telling them.  The problem with the latter activity, and I know many of you will identify with this, is that the older I get the more difficult it is for me to remember a joke to retell it.   Now and then, however, I hear a good one that really sticks with me.  When this happens I generally tell the joke to everyone I meet, which prompts my wife to say, “You’re not going to tell that one again, are you?”

I heard one of those “stick with you” jokes the other day from my wife’s doctor.  The joke is one of biblical proportions.  You know the kind people like to tell preachers.  I’ve already shared the joke with a number of you, but for those who haven’t heard it, and those of you who have, but can’t remember it, here it is again.            

As the story line goes, Moses and Jesus were about to play a round of golf when a little old man came up and asked to make it a threesome.   Jesus was the first to tee off, and his ball headed straight for the water hazard.  Reaching the hazard, the ball rolled right across the surface of the water and bounced up on the green near the hole.  When Moses teed off, his ball headed in the same direction as had that of Jesus.  However, when it came to the hazard the waters parted and the ball rolled across again bouncing upon the green and coming to rest near the hole.

Next the little old man teed off, and, oddly enough, his ball as well headed straight for the water hazard.  But then, as the ball reached the water it sank.   Suddenly, however, a large fish broke the water surface and leaped into the air carrying the ball in its mouth.  Then with the fish still in the air, a big bird came by, taking the ball from the fish’s mouth, flying over the green, and dropping the ball right in the hole for a hole-in-one.  At this point Moses looked at Jesus and said, “I just hate it when your dad plays with us!”

See, I told you it was one of those “stick with you” jokes.  Now go and share it with someone else who likes jokes.  But when you do, remind them, that while a joke, it has a message they need to take to heart.  The message being that God always wins, he never loses.  God created the course and He controls the game from start to finish.  At the crucifixion of Jesus it appeared as if God had lost, but then there was that earthquake, an empty tomb, a resurrected body, and a divine victory.   

The game of life can be played individually, or as a team sport.  The choice is always yours, but be advised; those who choose to play alone never win.  They may feel like they are winning now and then, but in the end, when the clock has run out, they will have lost.  Only those who play the game of life as a team sport with God calling the plays can end up winning.
 
Life was a team sport for the apostle Paul, and in the end he could say with confidence, “I have played well, I have finished the game, I have let God call the plays, and now there is awaiting me a crown of victory, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall award me at that day: and not to me only, but to all who have played on his team and lovingly wait for his appearing.” (A personal paraphrase of II Timothy 4:7-8)