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I count it a privilege when I am asked to tend my 11 year old namesake grandson.
His is an inquiring mind, and I await what percolates just below the surface with an admixture of anticipation and delight.
When I was last asked to spend time with him, I decided to broach weighty matters. I think he is old enough to handle them.
I told him, in my opinion, Matthew 25 was as much part of the gospel as was John 3:16.
So he got out his copy of Holy Writ and I read to him.
Now things are a bit different from when my father read to me when I was about the same age as my grandson.
What I remember most is his reading morality tales from the pen of Leo Tolstoy, who became a Christian in later life.
Tolstoy wrote of a protagonist Ivan the Fool, who turned out to be not so foolish after all.
After describing what was predicted by the Master at the Judgment, when the Judge divides people into 2 groups — those to His right the sheep and those to His left the goats — the Judge addresses each.
He says to those in the goat group: “Inasmuch as you did not visit Me when I was in prison, clothe Me when I was naked, visit Me when I was sick, feed Me when I was hungry, give Me to drink when I was thirsty; so shall your fate be accordingly.”
In that group are many who think they are in the wrong group. Some have preached, some have wrought miracles, and have even cast out demons…
