40. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-JOHN 15: 12-17 (Focus on Love and Friendship)

Ana sat quietly next to her grand mother, as she listened intently to the speaker on television. He was talking about Christ’s love for us all, and the sacrifices he made on our behalf. The speaker concluded by expressing his pride and satisfaction that he is able to call Christ his true friend, and his willingness to go to any length to remain his friend. After he was finished, Ana turned to her grand mother and asked:
“Gramma, Jesus is the son of God who we honor and pray to, how could he also be our friend as well?
The old lady, with a smile of satisfaction, hugged her grand daughter and replied confidently:
“Yes indeed my dear child. In fact Jesus actually went as far as to tell us that we can only qualify to be his friend only if we love our neighbors as he loves us. Let me read to you from the Gospel of John Chapter 15, Verses 12-17, I will begin with Verse 12:

This is my commandment;
That you love one another, as I have loved you.

“Jesus could not be more direct. He actually commanded us to love one another in the same way that he loves us. We cannot expect to be considered a friend and a disciple, unless we do as he does by genuinely loving one another under any and all circumstances. Notice he makes no exceptions, nor should we.”
Anticipating Ana’s concern for this sweeping statement, the old lady continued to read Verse 13:

Greater love has no one than this;
That someone lay down his life for his friends.

“There is no stronger way to demonstrate the meaning of these words than to be willing to make the extreme sacrifice. How extraordinary the love of Jesus is for us, that he voluntarily accepts the pain and sacrifice and crucifixion for us. He expects no less from us, if we wish to be his friend and follower. We also must be willing, if the need arises, to accept extreme sacrifice for one another, in his name.”
Pausing briefly she looked at Ana, who was by now in deep thought. She then continued to read Verse 14:

You are my friends,
If you do what I command you.

“This is a declaration meant for the whole world. As far as Jesus is concerned, there are no exceptions to his friendship and only one condition, that we follow him! All Jesus asks of anyone of us to qualify for his total love and friendship is that we obey his commands."
Ana by now sitting up and obviously delighted at the thought that she too, can become a friend of Jesus, listened intently as the old lady continued to read Verse 15:

No longer do I call you servants,
for the servant does not know what his master is doing;
But I have called you friends,
for all that I have heard from my Father
I have made known to you.

“This is the ultimate promise and reward for our loyalty for being true followers of Jesus Christ. He promises us that our status will change from one of being subservient to a master to do what he says and what he wants, to one of being a partner and friend. We will be able to share in our hearts and our minds, in partnership with Jesus Christ, God’s plans and purpose to lead the world in a direction of truth and love to all. This is what it means to become a true member of God’s family!"
The old lady placed her hands gently on Ana’s shoulder to indicate that she was not quite finished and then continued to read Verses 16 and 17:

You did not choose me, but I chose you,
And appointed you that you should go and bear fruit,
And that your fruit should abide,
So that whatever you ask the Father in my name,
He may give it to you.
These things I command you;
So that you will love one another.

“This is a very important reminder that God’s power is not available on demand. Irrespective of who you are, whether the Apostles or anyone of us, no one will ever have the option or opportunity to select the Lord God as master, inthe same way you can choose a President. It is God, in his kindness and love, who chooses us, and voluntarily allows us to become part of his family and who answers our prayers and our requests. All of this is granted to us if we follow his commands to love one another."
The old lady closed her bible and with a sense of awe at the greatness of her loving God, she turned to her grand daughter with profound love in her heart and announced:

“My dear Ana, be forever grateful that you have been chosen by Almighty God
to be his disciple and his friend. You must never, ever fail to remember this,
to continually give thanks to him and to always live by his commandments. AMEN!”

39. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-PSALM 100:1-5 (A Psalm of Thanksgiving)

Little Ana sat comfortably enjoying her second piece of her mother’s pumpkin pie as she listened to her Uncle Joe lamenting the fact that this special day, set aside to thank God for all that he has provided to us and celebrated in many countries around the world, has become so commercialized that it has lost its real meaning.
“It seems” he said “we are more concerned with the size of the turkey and getting ready for black Friday’s shopping plans than praying to Almighty God and giving thanks for his bounties.”
He was very annoyed that the President goes on television to “pardon” a turkey but never took time to thank God for bringing us through another year. He concluded that as a society, we have lost the real meaning of giving thanks to God. It seems that that the more we get, the more we expect, the less grateful we become and the more we demand. God has now become an after thought. He concluded that we should all go back and read and digest Psalm 100, the most beautiful Psalm of Thanksgiving ever recorded.
Later that day, Ana approached her grand mother to ask her opinion of Uncle Joe’s comment and his recommendation. The old lady beckoned her to come and sit next to her and as she picked up her favorite bible she said:
“Yes indeed my dear child, your uncle Joe was very correct about the attitude in today’s society. No longer do we take the time to remember that we got here with the help of God and that he is the source of every blessing we have. Psalm 100 was actually written to help us to deal with this attitude and to remind us of our need to always give thanks.”
Opening her bible to Psalm 100 she began by explaining that in Verses 1-5, God, speaking through David, gave us a series of four commands to give thanks to the Almighty. She continued by reading Verse 1:

Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all the Earth!

"This is the First Command;
The Psalmist is reminding us that in response to God’s goodness to us we must show our gratitude by shouting out with the strength of our feeling for the whole world to know. Instead, as your uncle said, God has become just a convenient after thought ”

Briefly pausing to allow Ana to assimilate the information, she began reading Verse 2:

Serve the Lord with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

"The Second Command is to serve the Lord with joy and happiness in everything you do in his name. Whether you feed the hungry, or comfort the sick, or clothe the naked, or help the needy, if you do so in God’s name, you are doing God’s work and you are giving thanks to God. To simply to show to the world the joy and happiness you feel toward God for all he has done for you is itself a way of thanking God.”
Ana by now marveling at her grand mother wonderful insight, listened intently as she read Verse 3:

Know that the Lord, He is our God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are his people and the sheep of His pasture.

"The Third Command is a firm reminder of who we are. We are the children of God. He will lead us in the right direction and Like the sheep who look to the shepherd to lead them to green pastures so too must we be. In the same way a child give thanks to the parents by honoring their wishes, so too, do we to God Almighty.”

Taking a deep breath, the old lady closed her eyes for a moment as she silently thanked God for giving her this opportunity to help her grand child, then she continued to read Verses 4 and 5:
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

"This is the Fourth Command that we come before him giving him thanks and praise and we recognize that his goodness and love for us and his faithfulness to us will be everlasting.
This indeed is the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Nothing else matters, not the turkey or the trimmings or the shopping."
As she raised her head, she also raised her open hands to heaven and exclaimed in a firm and definitive voice:

"God bless your Uncle Joe for reminding us of this fact!"

38. EPHESIANS 3:14-19 (The Fullness of God)

The old lady sat quietly with her eyes closed and deep in thought. She was genuinely disturbed by a remark made by one of the TV Evangelists that seems to suggest that God only favors the righteous and that the others may be left by the wayside on judgment day. This was definitely not her understanding and she wanted to be sure that her grand child, Ana, knew this.
Inviting Ana to sit next to her, she picked up her trusted Bible as she asked the child:
“Ana do you know what is meant by the term “The Fullness of God”?
Little Ana thought for a moment, and then responded negatively. The old lady was not really surprised at the response and opening her Bible she continued:
“let me read to you from the Letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians, Chapter 3, Verses 14-19 in which St. Paul expressed his awe in receiving his salvation and the promise that all believers will share in the Fullness of God.”
Beginning with Verses 14 and 15, she reads:

For this reason I kneel before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven
and on earth derives its name.

"Paul begins his prayer by going down on his knees to express his awe and humility to God and to recognize him as Father of everybody in Heaven and on Earth. He does not make any distinction. We are all his children, Christians and Non-Christians alike.”
Continuing, she slowly and carefully reads Verse 16:

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being.

“Paul continues by reminding us of the Richness of God’s Glory to which we are all entitled, and which is readily available to anyone of us, to strengthen us in every way. Unlike our worldly ability, these gifts are endless in scope and in duration and freely available to all. He went further to explain that we can inherit this power within our inner spirit by the presence of the Holy Spirit”.
The old lady paused briefly to allow Ana to absorb the message and if necessary to respond to any questions. She then continued to read Verses 17 and 18:

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,

“This is a powerful prayer. That as believers through our faith, strengthened by our beliefs and reinforced by our love of God the father, we pray that Christ will come into our hearts and take up permanent residence and control. In this way, together with all the believers, far and wide, we will get to know the enormous and endless capacity of Christ’s love for his children. To get to this state we must not only accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, but be willing to walk with him through faith. ”
The old lady raised her head and leaning back, looked to Ana who, by this time, appeared to be overwhelmed by the extent of God’s willingness to accommodate his family of believers. After a short time had elapsed, Ana sat up and addressed her grand mother:
“Gramma, does God really give us the knowledge to do all these things so that we may be acceptable to him?”
The old lady replied, with a smile of contentment at the child’s mature insight:
"Yes indeed my dear child, let me read the final Verse 19, you will then understand:"

And to know this love that surpasses knowledge
—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

“Paul is saying to us that our love in Christ completely surpasses all knowledge and understanding and by our love we are filled with a fullness that only God Almighty can give. It means that in this state you are completely able and capable to lead the life expected of a true believer."
Little Ana, jumped up and turning to her grand mother with joy in her face exclaimed:

“Gramma, thank God for you. For I know that you live with the Fullness of God, and with his help, you will show us all the way to get there.”

37. 37. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-MATTHEW 19:3-7 (Marraige is Forever)

Ana was visibly perturbed by the words of a very popular and supposedly well-respected religious leader, Reverend Pat Robertson, whom she heard on tonight’s news-broadcast stating quite clearly that it was alright for a man whose wife is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease to divorce her and get another partner so long as he continues to make sure that she is cared for. She could not understand why he could have made a statement like this which she knew, was so much against the sacred marriage vows taken of: ……“In sickness and in health, until death do we part.”
Approaching her grand mother she asked, with a voice that betrayed her disappointment,
“Gramma, is it not true that when a man and a woman get married, the marriage is forever and God never allows any divorce?
The old lady, recognizing the child’s genuine concern over Reverend Robertson’s foolish statement, beckoned her to sit next to her as she opened her Bible and selected the appropriate reading. When Ana was settled next to her she said:
My dear child, people have always tried to get around God’s commandment that the sacrament of marriage is permanent and can only be dissolved by death and nothing else. Let me read to you from the Gospel according to Matthew, Chapter 19, Verses 3-6:

Some Pharisees came to Jesus to test him. They asked,
“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
“Haven’t you read,” Jesus replied,
“that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female,
and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother,
and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?
So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

“You see Ana, Jesus was quite clear and precise in his answer. He offered no alternatives or exceptions whatsoever, when asked if it was ever lawful for the man to divorce his wife and he underlined this by stating that marriage results in transforming husband and wife into one. Jesus went further by reminding us that what God had united then no one can separate. This is not a suggestion, it is a command!”
Ana listened intently to her grandmother then after a short pause asked in a questioning tone:
“But gramma doesn’t the Bible also gives permission for a man to divorce his wife if she does wrong things. Did God change his mind?”
The old lady looked directly at her grand-daughter and with a gentle smile, replied:
“Yes Ana, in a way people might think you are right, because in the early years, especially at the time of the Prophet Moses, permission was granted to a man to divorce his wife and send them away and indeed people have used this as a reason to continue divorces, but let me read the rest of the passage in verses 7-9 for the explanation:”

“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command
that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives
because your hearts were hard.
But it was not this way from the beginning.”

“The Pharisees tried to question Jesus on this subject reminding him that it was permitted by Moses. Jesus replied that from the very beginning God had intended that marriage was permanent and this had not changed. What happened at the time of Moses was the result the hard-hearted behavior of the people at that time. They were behaving badly divorcing for any reason and Moses’ permission was an attempt to set up some type of control. But God never gave his blessing for this behavior."
The old lady raised her head and turned towards Ana and continued:
"We are facing the same situation now, where divorce has become so easy that the sacrament of marriage is in danger of losing its holy, sacred status, and so-called religious leaders are advocating its implementation even for sickness. I would like to remind Reverend Robertson to go back to the Bible and read from Malachi Chapter 2, Verse 16, which simply states:

“I hate divorce,”

says the Lord God of Israel

36. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-SIRACH 2:1-6 (Seeking God's Guidance)

Ana walked slowly towards her grand mother, who was seated comfortably in her favorite chair, and sat down beside her. After a short while, she looked up at the old lady’s smiling face and asked her:
“Gramma, how can I prepare my self to be sure that what I do in my life will satisfy God?”
The old lady, impressed by the depth of the question, at first sat quietly as she tried to formulate a meaningful reply and then replied slowly and deliberately:
"My dear child, it does not matter what career you ultimately choose. What matters most is that, in all things you serve God and live by his guidance and his teachings, irrespective of any hardships you may encounter. Let me refer you to a passage from the Holy Bible contained in Sirach Chapter 2, Verses 1-6, in which God advised us directly and unequivocally. In my mind this contains the most straightforward and practical advice to anyone who truly wants to serve God and abide by his teachings. Let me read Verses 1and 2:"

My child, when you come to serve the Lord,

you must prepare yourself for testing.
Set your heart right and be steadfast,

and do not be impetuous in time of calamity.

“Notice from the outset God warns you that choosing to serve him is not going to be easy and that you must be ready and willing to deal with problems and hardships that may arise. There will be testing and questions from others or from you, and times of uncertainty and concern that you are doing the right thing. This is why your faith in God has to be strong and unyielding and possess the trust and patience to overcome any crisis.”
Little Ana, eyes wide open with concern and apprehension, tugged at her grand mother’s sleeve and asked her, in a tone that relayed her sense of despair:
“But gramma, that has to be very difficult to do. People are always trying to bring you down, how does God expect us to overcome these people?”
The old lady nodded understandably, and continued to read Verses 3-5:

Cling to Him and do not depart,

so that your last days may be prosperous.

Accept whatever befalls you,

and in times of humiliations be patient.

For gold is tested in the fire,

and those found acceptable,

in the furnace of humiliation.

“The answer is quite clear if we trust the Almighty. We must have the confidence and faith to trust God irrespective of what may happen to us, or what humiliation that we experience. We are being tested and we must be prepared to endure all this and remain calm and patient, knowing that God will not abandon us. In the same way Gold can only be acceptable after it goes through fire, so also will we become stronger and better by enduring shame and humiliation.”
Pausing to allow her words to sink in, the old lady waited for a response from her grand child. After a short while Ana sat up and asked:
“What then does God expect us to do?”
The old lady smiled and lifting her voice, read with confidence, Verse 6:

Trust in Him, and He will help you,

make your ways straight, and hope in Him.

Then raising her voice a little in order to emphasize the point, she turned to Ana and stated:

“His message is simple as it is everlasting. Have faith and trust in the Almighty God and he will always help you. Stay committed to his teachings, live your life straight and honest in every way and never, ever, lose hope in the promise of God’s salvation.”

35. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-ROMANS 3:21-28 (Forgiveness through Faith)

Little Ana approached her grandmother after dinner was completed, with a question that clearly has been bothering her for some time.
“Gramma this book I am reading says that the real difference between believers and non-believers is that God always forgives us for anything we do or whatever wrong we commit, so long as we genuinely believe in him. Is that really true?”

The old lady, somewhat uncertain about the implications of the question, paused for a while and then beckoning her grandchild to sit next to her, replied:
“My dear child the statement is not correct. God never gave permission for anyone of us, believers or non-believers to do wrong, nor did he promise to forgive us for anything we do. What I think the writer meant is that God grants us forgiveness for our sins because of the price paid on our behalf by his only son, Jesus Christ. This is explained by St. Paul in his Letter to the Romans, Chapter 3, Verses 21-28. Let me read Verses 21 and 22 to you:

Now, the way to receive God’s approval has been made plain
in a way other than Moses’ Teachings.
Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets tell us this.
Everyone who believes has God’s approval,
through faith in Jesus Christ.
There is no difference between people.

“You see Ana, God makes it clear that the only way to receive God’s approval is through our faith in Jesus Christ. Every one of us, whoever we are, is entitled to receive God’s grace. There is no difference, no distinction, no discrimination among people in our standing before God. What is important is that we believe in God and have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior.”
The old lady looked at Ana expectantly and then nodded her head as she continued to read Verses 23 and 24:

Because all people have sinned,
they have fallen short of God’s glory.
They receive God’s approval freely
by an act of his kindness
through the price Christ Jesus paid
to set us free from sin.

“Not one of us stands before God without sin. Without exception, we are all guilty by our own commissions and as such we deserve the wrath of the Almighty, for we have fallen short of his expectation. But by God’s good graces we are forgiven and receive his blessings. We are not entitled, nor do we earn this kindness. It is God’s gift to us freely given, by the blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Little Ana sat up and turning to her grand mother, somewhat perplexed, she asked:
“But gramma, does that mean that anyone of us can just go ahead and sin and God will forgive us?”
The old lady shook her head from side to side indicating disagreement and said:
“Indeed not my dear child. This certainly does not absolve us from living a good Christian life and following the teachings of Jesus Christ. What it implies is that through the sacrifices of
Jesus Christ we are granted forgiveness by the Almighty. Let me read Verses 25 and 26:

God showed that Christ is the throne of mercy
where God’s approval is given through
faith in Christ’s blood. In his patience
God waited to deal with sins committed in the past.
He waited so that he could display
his approval at the present time.
This shows that he is a God of justice,
a God who approves of people who believe in Jesus.

“St. Paul clearly shows that God’s grace is available only through faith in Christ to all who believe. We do not deserve, nor can we ever earn this grace, but it is through God’s amazing goodness that forgiveness is granted.”
The old lady paused briefly, and then continued to read Verses 27 and 28:

So, do we have anything to brag about?
Bragging has been eliminated.
On what basis was it eliminated?
Is it on the basis of our own efforts?
No, indeed! Rather, it is eliminated on the basis of faith.
We conclude that a person has God’s approval
because of faith, not because of his own efforts.

“These verses are very important for those of us who have a tendency to brag about God’s goodness. We must never forget that we are all sinners and deserve to be punished for out transgressions. The fact that God in his kindness, chooses to grant us forgiveness and acceptance is not by any effort by us but rather on the basis of the price paid by Christ, our Savior.”
Ana, by now overwhelmed by the extent of God’s kindness and goodness, slowly got up and hugged her grandmother as she whispered:

“Thank you gramma, for showing me that my God is the greatest, kindest and all-forgiving God.”

34. THE OLD LADY AND ANA-1 JOHN 2:9-11(Living with Hate)

Little Ana sat quietly next to her father as he was engrossed in a TV program dealing with the serious problem of political, religious and racial hatred that exists in the community. She could see that he was visibly disturbed since she knew that he has always been against any form of hatred. After the program was completed, Ana sought out her grand mother and asked her:
“Gramma, why is there so much hatred in this world, why do people behave so badly? They pretend to like you, but behind your back they hate you and want to destroy you.”
The old lady, who had also seen the program, knew that it had deeply affected her grand child and recognized that she had to try to help her. She beckoned her to sit with her and as she picked up her trusted bible, said:
“Hate has existed for as long as man has been on earth. It is one of the major weapons that Satan has used, and continues to use, to turn people from God and get control over them. But God has made it clear that he rejects hate in any form. Listen to these words taken from the First Letter of John, Chapter 2, Verses 9-11:”

Anyone who claims to be in the light
but hates a brother or sister,
He is still in the darkness.
Anyone who loves their brother and sister
lives in the light,
and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.
But anyone who hates a brother or sister
is in the darkness
and walks around in the darkness.
They do not know where they are going,
because the darkness has blinded them.

“You see, my dear child, God is using light and darkness to teach us the difference. It does not matter what you say or mean, but if there is hatred in your heart you will always be in darkness, walking around aimlessly and blind to the world. But when you have love in your heart your world is clear, there are no obstacles to bring you down. When you live in the light, you do not have to be afraid."
Ana thought for a moment and somewhat confused with the explanation, asked:
“Gramma does that mean that you cannot say that you love God and hate others at the same time?
The old lady nodded affirmatively and replied:
“Indeed that is exactly what I am saying. In fact if you were to read further in the same First Letter of John, Chapter 4, Verse 20, this unequivocally states that you cannot hate a brother and claim to love God at the same time. Let me read it to you:”

If a man says I love God, and hates his brother,
he is a liar:
for if he that loves not his brother whom he has seen,
how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Ana, now convinced, was able to understand why her father was so upset by the people who expressed their hatred in the TV program. She wondered however, how she should treat these people and asked her grand mother what her attitude should be toward those who hate her. The old lady quickly replied:
“My dear Ana, God was absolutely clear in what he expects from us. There are references throughout the Bible instructing us to forgive anyone who sins against us. Perhaps the clearest and the strongest statement is found in Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 5, Verse 44:”

But I say unto you, Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you,
do good to them that hate you,
and pray for them which despitefully use you,
and persecute you;

“God did not mince his words to us. We must love and bless our enemies who curse us, and we must pray and do good to those who hate, despise or persecute us. We have no excuse or reason to do otherwise. Perhaps the best advice I can give you my child on this matter, are the words of Almighty God recorded in Proverbs 10, Verse 12."

........"Take these to heart and be guided by them for the rest of your life.”

Hatred stirs up strife:
But love covers all sins.