Shade Tree Wisdom 3/23/09

The St. Louis Cardinal baseball team of the ‘40s had a short-stop named Marty Marion. He covered his position superbly. He seemed to be everywhere, graceful, expert, and a fine bat also. Sports writers often used the term ‘graceful’ when they spoke about his game. He moved with great ease, seemed almost fluid in his actions. Graceful indeed.

Ever watch people walk? Some sway from side to side, some sort of bounce with each step, others walk with hesitation. A child runs with exuberance. But some folks sort of glide along, they seem almost to float along, a pleasure to watch. I had a choir director who wanted his choir to walk that way when they processed. It takes effort, and attention, but it can be done. Try it. It’s called graceful.

But there is another grace I want to talk about. A fine example comes from the life of ancient king David. Before he got to the throne, he had promised king Saul he would not kill any of Saul’s family.(1 Samuel 24,22). It was the habit of kings to kill any family members left so there would be no threat to their power from that quarter. Politicians always see to their power base. That’s almost a rule for them.

So, when David became king, first of Judah, then of all Israel, he asked, “Is there any family member left I can show a kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Samuel 9,1

A man named Ziba who was a servant in Saul’s household told him there was a lad, crippled in both feet, who was named Mephibosheth. David had him brought from where he was living, sort of in hiding.

Can you imagine his feeling when the messenger from the king came to get him? But David treated him kindly, invited him to be a permanent guest at the kings table, and said to him, “For the sake of your father Jonathan, I will restore to you all the lands belonging to your grandfather.” 2 Samuel 9,7. AND, he ordered Ziba to till the soil, harvest the crops for Mephibosheth, so he was never destitute. The records adds that Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.

That’s grace in the deed, isn’t it.

But let me speak of another grace. It is mentioned plainly and often by St. Paul especially. He writes in Ephesians 2,8, “for by grace you are saved through faith: and that not of yourselves, it is gift of God. V.9 not of works, lest any man should boast”.

And that happened, “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”. In this way, St. Paul teaches, “God commended His love toward us”. Romans 5, 8. And the Apostle begins chapter 5 of Romans with this word, “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand”. So, our salvation is God’s gift by grace, and we have it when we receive it by faith.

So, while you are practicing your graceful walking, let your memory dwell on this great truth during these Lenten days.

GPD 3/23/09