Two stories jumped out at me this week, if for no other reason than because they couldn’t be more alike and yet more unlike at the same time. They have an element of surprise, involve a rare find, and come with mysterious overtones. But the way they were handled couldn’t be more opposite.
In Gaza a lone fisherman gets the scare of his life when his net catches what appeared to be a person with extended arms. It turned out to be a 2,500-year-old bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo, which after the initial shock was brought ashore by the fisherman and his many cousins. In California a young couple walking their dog on their property discovers a cache of rare coins from the 1800’s which could bring them as much as $10M. Yes, that is not a typo.
As you can see, both finds have the potential of generating a lot of money to their lucky finders, but while the folks from California immediately put the coins into the hands of a renowned numismatic firm, the amateur guys with the statue hauled it away and kept it hidden “for safe keeping,” releasing only photographs of the ancient god who must now be protesting the abrupt change to his habitat.
Even though the coins will by nature generate a lot more cash, in terms of strategy, we can only guess which of these two sets of people is having more success marketing their product…
These two stories reminded me of Jesus’ statements in Matthew 5:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16).
Obviously, there is a huge difference between our stories and Jesus’ lesson here, but here is the analogy: We, who call ourselves followers of Christ, came upon the greatest find of all but for whatever reason have hauled it away and kept it hidden, like the fisherman did, while competing finds can always count on the services of the best experts to advertise them.
It is still a mystery to me why Christians tend to be so shy about sharing the message of hope in Christ with others. Jesus said that He came “to seek and save those who are lost,” so it stands to reason that if we are His followers, we should want to enthusiastically join him in His mission. But is this what we see among so-called Christ-followers today? From where I sit, it would appear that many of Christ-followers live literally by the saying “finder’s keepers,” as if they didn’t care at all about the fate of Christ’s other friends, but there is still time for us to radically change that.
This Sunday we start a new series at Grace Church called “Care2Share.” For seven weeks I will be sharing some simple but powerful ideas which will help all of us connect with Christ’s other friends who are not yet part of His fold. This is a series for everyone, whether you call yourself a believer or not. We will walk you step-by-step into a new life that gets the light from under the bowl into the highways and byways of this world. You will not want to miss it.
Pastor Ivanildo C. Trindade
pastor ivanildo 
Fear, afraid of ridicule and persecution. Also, having a target on your back. ie. every time you stumble, say, you get angry, ‘OH! look at preacher boy getting mad’, to name a few. This I’ve seen first hand. It is difficult for many to over come the fears I’ve mentioned, especially if you have no root in your belief. Matt: 13, 1-23. For many, the seed has been sown, but they have not grown roots. Until they do, they will wilt under the hot sun. Paul W.
Thanks for posting your comments, Paul. Yes, I agree that the nature of the soil will determine the harvest. But we must go on sowing. God is the one who gives the increase. Keep up the good work.