This is an excerpt from my son's sermon given on May 3, 1998. I thought the story
was so poignant, and I wanted to share it with our visitors. Some of Ronny's "personal excerpts" will be posted in the future.
I want to share with you a story called "The Birdcage." A man was on the side of the road with
a large birdcage and a boy noticed that the cage was filled with birds of many
kinds. "Where did you get those birds?" he asked. "Oh, all over the place," the man
replied. "I lure them with crumbs and pretend I'm their friend. Then when they're close I catch
them and shove them into my cage." "What are you going to do with them now?" the boy asked.
The man grinned, "I'm going to prod them with a stick and get them really mad so they'll
fight and kill each other. Those that survive I'm going to kill. None of them will escape." The boy looked at the man, what made him do such a thing.
He looked into his cruel, hard eyes and then he looked at the birds, defenseless and
without hope. "Can I buy those birds?" the boy asked. The man hid his smile aware that he could be on to a good thing
if he played his cards right. "Well", he said, "the cage is pretty expensive and I spent a lot
of time collecting these birds, but I'll tell you what, I'll let you have the
lot: the birds, the cage, and all for only ten dollars and that jacket you're
wearing." Well, the boy paused, ten dollars was all he had and the jacket was new
and very special. It was, in fact, his prized possession. Slowly he took out the ten dollars and handed it over.
Even more slowly he took off his jacket, gave it one last look, and handed it over too. Then you
guessed it. He took the cage out into an open field, opened the door, and watched
all the birds fly away free.
The enemy of the world, Satan, is on the side of life's road with a very large cage.
The man coming toward him noticed that it was crammed full of people of every kind;
young and old, from every race and every nation. "Where did you get all those
people?" the man asked. "Oh, from all over the world," Satan replied, "I lure
them with drink and drugs, lust and lies, anger, hate, love of money,
and all manner of things. I pretend I'm their friend out to show them a good time.
Then when I've hooked them, into the cage they go." "What are you doing to do with
them now?" asked the man. Satan grinned, "Im going to prod them and provoke them.
Get them to hate and destroy each other. I'll stir up racial hatred, defiance of law
and order. I'll make people bored, lonely, dissatisfied, confused and restless.
It's easy. People will always listen to what I offer them. What's better than
that is they blame God for the outcome." "Then what?" asked the man. "Those who
do not destroy themselves, I will destroy. None of them will escape." The man stepped forward, "Can I buy
these people from you?" Satan snarled, "Yes, but it will cost you your life." So,
Jesus Christ, the Son of god, paid for our release, our freedom from Satan's trap
with his own life on the cross at Calvary. Now the door is open. The question to us today and everyday is
will we remain in the cage or will we step out into the life that Christ offers each one of us?
This is the life; a table that is set before you, goodness and mercy following you,
a cup that runs over and you will live in the house of the Lord forever. This is the life
that God offers to you. Will you accept it or will you remain in the cage?
Amen.
