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.”