A Parable about the Difference between Heaven and Hell
A holy man was having a conversation with God one day and said, ‘ God , I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.’ God led the holy man to two doors.. He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in . In the middle of the room was a large round table. In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew, which smelled delicious and made the holy man’s mouth water.
The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly. They appeared to be famished.. They were holding spoons with very long handles, that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful. But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths. The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.
God said, ‘You have seen Hell.’ They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one. There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man’s mouth water. The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking. The holy man said, ‘I don’t understand..’
It is simple,’ said God . ‘It requires but one skill. You see they have learned to feed each other, while the greedy think only of themselves.’
I love this parable because it communicates SO MUCH truth!
To me, it does describe one of the big differences between a true follower of Christ and those who reject the Good News of Jesus Christ!
True followers of Christ should no longer be asking: "What about ME???" They should instead be looking for "Who can I serve next?"
Luke 17:33, Jesus says:
"Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."
And in Matthew 16:24-25 (Amplified Bible) says:
Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also].
It seemes that Jesus has painted a very clear picture of what it means to be a Christian. It means we are no longer the 'center' of our own lives. It means that we are to put CHRIST FIRST; before our own interests, comfort, desires and yes, temporal life.
Since the Church is the Living Body of Christ, I do believe that includes putting the needs of the Church first as well!
In John 13:34-35, Jesus says:
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Jesus is talking to His disciples here. He is talking about the Church. If we love HIM, it will show by the way we LOVE each other and His Church. We're not talking about 'emotional' love here, we're talking about Agape love in action.
We are not to be just feeding ourselves. We are to be feeding each other! We are to consider one another's feelings and lives as if they are more important than our own (Phil. 2:3). That's how we show love to Jesus! We are to literally SEE Jesus in one another and whatever we do (OR don't do) for them, we are doing or not doing for Jesus! (Matt. 25)
So friends, let's ask ourselves today, who are you feeding? Who comes first in your life? And what does your love and devotion for your church family say about how you feel about Jesus?
THANKS BE TO GOD! He is full of mercy and grace for each of us! Today is the first day of the rest of our lives and it's a perfect day to take a deeper step in our walk with Christ. Let it begin today. Pick a spoon and start feeding someone TODAY! Put your own agenda aside and see the people around you who are hungry for God's love. Let it flow through YOU!
It will require something of you though. You'll have to give up feeding yourself so much. Instead, let someone else feed you while you focus on feeding someone else.
Today, our work is laid out before us. Jesus is coming back SOON! Soon, we will all stand before Him and give an account of what we've done with the time on this earth that we have been given. What picture of us will He see during our 'life review?' Will He be pleased?
If we're willing to lose our temporal life now, then one day we will get to hear the words that will walk us into our heavenly eternity of never-ending life and rewards:
Matthew 21:25
"Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!"
Pick up a spoon today! Your Church Family NEEDS YOU!!! PEACE in Christ Alone!
25For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting].