Sharing the tale of a'dead duck'

Klappenbach

Good Shepherd Lutheran

"For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery," Galatians 5:1

I am not sure of the original source, but the late Richard C. Hoefler, a teacher of preachers used to tell this story.

A little boy named Johnny was visiting his grandparents one summer. His grandfather gave him his first slingshot. He spent his days playing in the woods, having fun aiming and shooting stones at trees.

He never hit anything because his aim was terrible. One day, on his way back home for dinner he made his way through the back yard and saw his grandmother's favorite duck.

On a lark he took aim and let the stone fly. This time the stone hit the mark and grandmother's favorite duck fell dead. The little boy panicked and in desperation hid the dead duck in the woodpile on the side of the house.

Then he saw his sister, Sally standing by the corner of the house. She had seen the whole thing. Both of them went into the house for dinner. Sally said nothing to her grandmother about the duck.

After they finished eating, grandmother said, "Sally, it is your turn to help with the dishes." Sally said, "Oh, grandmother, Johnny said he would like to do the dishes. Didn't you Johnny?" Then she whispered to her brother, "Remember the duck?" Johnny did the dishes.

Later grandfather asked the children if they would like to go fishing. Grandmother said, "I'm sorry, but Sally can't go. She has to stay and help clean the house." But Sally said, "That has been taken care of. Johnny said he would like to help grandmother today, didn't you?" Then she whispered to Johnny, "Remember the duck?"

This went on for several days. Johnny did all the chores assigned to his sister as well as the chores assigned to him, while Sally had all the fun.

Finally, Johnny could stand it no longer. He went to his grandmother and told her the whole story about the duck. His grandmother took him into her arms and said, "I know Johnny, I saw the whole thing from the kitchen window.

Because I love you I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you were going to let your sister make a slave out of you."

Isn't that our human condition? We become slaves to our sin and wrong doing, covering up our weaknesses. We end up working hard to try to make up for the wrong we have done against God.

We have forgotten that God is standing there loving us with forgiving love. God has freed us from the power of sin through his Son, Jesus sacrificial death on the cross.

Through Jesus' work, God cancels the power of sin in our lives and makes us free and changed persons.

What we need to do is 'catch' the new from the kitchen window and once again discover God is there forgiving and ready to release us from all guilty. As free and forgiven in Christ Jesus we can give then give ourselves to the needs of others.

Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church is located on CR 268 in Vickery. Sunday worship is at 8 and 10:30 a.m. and Saturday service is at 5:30 p.m.