Perhaps you are or are not familiar with story of Solomon who made a wise decision regarding a dispute between two mothers. So, to make sure we’re all on the same page, here’s the cliff’s note version:
There are two prostitutes. They live in the same house and share the same room. One has a baby and three days later the other gives birth. They both had sons. One night one of the mothers rolls on top of her baby boy killing him. She quietly gets up places her dead son next to the other mother and takes her child. In the morning the mother who did not kill her child awakens to a lifeless body and in the morning light realizes the son is not hers. The other woman is holding her son. (Sounds like a soap opera to me. Not that I ever watched them or anything.)
A dispute arises which eventually finds its way to King Solomon. Both mothers are passionately claiming the living son is theirs. Solomon asks for a sword and gives the order for the child to be cut in two an one half be given to one mother and the other half given to the other. (Must have been no DNA testing back then.) One of woman moved with compassion for her son instructs the king to give the boy to the other woman. The other woman was content to let neither have him an told the king to cut the boy in two.
Solomon discovers the woman willing to sacrifice life with her child – nursing him, rasing him, watching him take his first steps…- is the mother of the boy and gives the child to her.
Wow! What a story?! Great wisdom displayed by Solomon. However, think about this story in relationship to our heavenly Father and worship. Think of the two mothers named Contemporary and Traditional. Think of how many times churches with both mothers present decide to cut the baby of worship and give half to one and half to the other.
Is it any wonder our worship is lifeless and our churches in America are dying. Where are the followers of Jesus who love the Father so much who are willing to say, “Please. Please. No. Don’t cut the baby. Let them have the baby. Let the child live.” But sadly more often than not we respond like the other mother, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”
Perhaps its time we put the love of Jesus before our personal preferences and convictions. Isn’t true worship and people giving glory to God more important than those things. Afterall, the one mother was willing to let her child be raised by another and miss out on mothering her baby so that her son would live.
Out of shear love for our Father what would we be willing to sacrifice so that worship would live?
