Nothing Can Separate Us
Stories
Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit
Series IV, Cycle A
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (vv. 35--39)
On an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, Opie brought home his report card showing that his grades were greatly improved. In fact, he had straight A's. Opie's father, Sheriff Andy Taylor, was so proud. He had encouraged Opie to improve his grades and finally he had.
However, the next day at school, Opie's teacher, Miss Crump, called him to her desk. She had discovered that she had accidentally recorded another student's grades on Opie's report card. He didn't make straight A's after all. He knew his father would be disappointed, but he still resolved to tell the truth about the teacher's mistake.
When he got home, Opie immediately began studying in an attempt to actually bring up his grades. Before he even had a chance to tell his father the truth about his grades, Andy exposed a brand new bicycle hidden behind the couch. It was a reward for his son's straight A's. Opie was stunned, and didn't tell Andy about the grade mix--up, and he didn't take the bike outside for a test drive. He simply excused himself to return to his studies.
The next day, Opie tried to tell his father about the mix--up. Before he could say anything, Andy gave him an advance on his allowance and told him to enjoy his bicycle. At dinner that night, he tried once again to tell his father, but Andy went in the kitchen to help Aunt Bee. Opie overheard Andy telling her how proud he was of his son. He had bragged to all his friends around town and wished he could take a picture of Opie and his report card to send to an out--of--town friend.
While in the sheriff's office the next day, Miss Crump stopped in to talk to Andy about the grade mix--up. At last, Andy discovered the truth - not only did Opie not get all A's, but he received an F in arithmetic. He went home to talk with Opie. He called to Opie to come down to the living room, but there was no response. Andy went to Opie's room and discovered a note explaining that the boy was running away.
Andy immediately left in the squad car to look for his son. He found Opie walking despondently down a lonely country road. When Andy got out of the car, Opie explained why he was running away. Not knowing that his father already knew, he told his father the truth about his grades. He ran away because he knew he couldn't keep it a secret forever. He had tried to tell his father several times before, but the weight of disappointing his father was too great. He thought the best thing to do was to run away until he had done something that would make his father proud.
Andy knew that he had contributed to Opie's problem by bestowing gifts and bragging about Opie. He looked at Opie, and offered his fatherly sheriff's wisdom. He said, "Opie, I've got something I want to say to you. When I thought you got all A's that was the most important thing in the world to me. And I made it so important that I made it impossible for you to live up to it. You're my son, and I'm proud of you just for that. You just do the best you can. If you'll do that, that's all I'll ever ask of you."
Sounds like what God would say to us when we make mistakes. Nothing can separate us from God's love. "You're my child. I'm proud of you just for that. You just do the best you can. If you'll do that, that's all I'll ever ask of you."
On an episode of The Andy Griffith Show, Opie brought home his report card showing that his grades were greatly improved. In fact, he had straight A's. Opie's father, Sheriff Andy Taylor, was so proud. He had encouraged Opie to improve his grades and finally he had.
However, the next day at school, Opie's teacher, Miss Crump, called him to her desk. She had discovered that she had accidentally recorded another student's grades on Opie's report card. He didn't make straight A's after all. He knew his father would be disappointed, but he still resolved to tell the truth about the teacher's mistake.
When he got home, Opie immediately began studying in an attempt to actually bring up his grades. Before he even had a chance to tell his father the truth about his grades, Andy exposed a brand new bicycle hidden behind the couch. It was a reward for his son's straight A's. Opie was stunned, and didn't tell Andy about the grade mix--up, and he didn't take the bike outside for a test drive. He simply excused himself to return to his studies.
The next day, Opie tried to tell his father about the mix--up. Before he could say anything, Andy gave him an advance on his allowance and told him to enjoy his bicycle. At dinner that night, he tried once again to tell his father, but Andy went in the kitchen to help Aunt Bee. Opie overheard Andy telling her how proud he was of his son. He had bragged to all his friends around town and wished he could take a picture of Opie and his report card to send to an out--of--town friend.
While in the sheriff's office the next day, Miss Crump stopped in to talk to Andy about the grade mix--up. At last, Andy discovered the truth - not only did Opie not get all A's, but he received an F in arithmetic. He went home to talk with Opie. He called to Opie to come down to the living room, but there was no response. Andy went to Opie's room and discovered a note explaining that the boy was running away.
Andy immediately left in the squad car to look for his son. He found Opie walking despondently down a lonely country road. When Andy got out of the car, Opie explained why he was running away. Not knowing that his father already knew, he told his father the truth about his grades. He ran away because he knew he couldn't keep it a secret forever. He had tried to tell his father several times before, but the weight of disappointing his father was too great. He thought the best thing to do was to run away until he had done something that would make his father proud.
Andy knew that he had contributed to Opie's problem by bestowing gifts and bragging about Opie. He looked at Opie, and offered his fatherly sheriff's wisdom. He said, "Opie, I've got something I want to say to you. When I thought you got all A's that was the most important thing in the world to me. And I made it so important that I made it impossible for you to live up to it. You're my son, and I'm proud of you just for that. You just do the best you can. If you'll do that, that's all I'll ever ask of you."
Sounds like what God would say to us when we make mistakes. Nothing can separate us from God's love. "You're my child. I'm proud of you just for that. You just do the best you can. If you'll do that, that's all I'll ever ask of you."
