“Catch Me Pa?”
July 1st, 2015
On October 3rd, 1960 CBS television network aired the first episode of a series that has since been ranked by TV Guide magazine as the 9th-best show in American television history. The Andy Griffith Show is about a small rural town, populated by a host of lovable citizens, whose comical mishaps are kept in check by the watchful eye of a home-spun, but wise, sheriff.
If you have ever watched this show, you are aware of the special relationship Sheriff Andy Taylor has with his young son Opie. This father has invested a lot of time in his son’s life to the point that Opie trusts his “Pa” almost without question.
In one episode there is a scene that demonstrates this trust. Opie is in Sheriff Taylor’s jailhouse office. He has just finished lunch and is about to return to school. But before he leaves, he looks up at his father and says, “Catch me Pa?” And Andy says, “Well, OK; but just once.” So Opie climbs up on his father’s desk, Andy backs away from the desk about three feet, holds out his arms, and Opie jumps.
It is such a simple scene that, if we are not paying attention, we will miss a wonderful illustration of faith:
- First of all, when Opie positions himself on the edge of the desk, he does not look down at the floor and hesitate. No, as soon as he climbs onto the desk, he immediately jumps.
- Nor does he ask his father, “You are going to catch me, right Pa?” Opie knew that his father would keep his promise to catch him.
We have not seen the many times this young boy had jumped into the arms of his father standing three feet away; but we can assume that this “jump and catch” routine has been repeated often. (Andy has to set a limit on the number of times he will play this game just to get his son back to school on time.) And every time Opie jumped, Andy caught him. This father had proved his faithfulness to his son over and over and over.
The Bible reveals another Father’s faithfulness, One Who remains true to His Word over and over and over. He is a Person Who keeps His promises.
The question is, Do we trust our Father to keep His Word? We should. If He says He is going to do something, He will do it. Our God is faithful to His children … but not because His children are faithful to Him.
Why would God remain so faithful to us when we are so often unfaithful to Him? It is to protect His reputation. He has something to prove … to the nations.
[Click over to the course, The God of Our Lives: chapter 2, “Yahweh: Our God Is Faithful”].
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To the readers within the believing community: I would greatly appreciate your prayers, that the Master-Teacher would be the Author of these writings.
