Renegotiating things

As we begin here today, I have to tell you that a combination of "words" and "situations" reported in the various news media are serving as the "stimulus" (recognize that one?) for my lesson today. I'm going to combine three "situations" with some Bible references and, hopefully, come up with a spiritual lesson. Well, I'm going to try anyway, so here goes.....

My three "situations" consist of a couple of fairly current news items and a college class and, unless you've been somehow cut off from all sources of news reporting, the "words" we'll use throughout our study will be very familiar to you. I doubt that you'll have any trouble picking them out as they come up in our discussion.

We've already seen the first word, "stimulus," used so let's just go on to the next one and see if we can't fit it into the subject matter of our lesson. This particular word also goes with our first "situation" and that "situation" is the recent threatened strike by the grocery workers union. Our "word" from that "situation" is - "negotiation."

It seems to me that our society, besides being a very "litigious" society, has become a "negotiating" society. Do you think this has come about because of the overabundance of lawyers in our midst? If we're not litigating something, we're negotiating something and both require lawyers being involved.

As to the grocery clerks "situation," all we heard on the news was that "negotiations" were ongoing and then we heard that they were "breaking down." But then, at the eleventh hour, through further "negotiations," the strike was averted and both sides were reported to be happy with how the "situation" ended.

Continuing on with our word "negotiation" let's move to my second "situation." If you pay any attention to the sports world, especially the winding down of the baseball season, you've no doubt noticed that a lot of players are "negotiating" for new contracts. Well, their agents, most of whom are also lawyers, are doing the "negotiating" on their behalf.

Have you ever noticed that, whenever a player has a good season, especially the pitchers, they want to "renegotiate" their contract and it's always in an upward direction? (IE: pay me more money) But, have you ever seen a contract "negotiated" downward when the player has a "bad" year? I haven't. Perhaps "negotiations" are just a one-way street when it comes to sports.

Okay, let's move our word "negotiation" to our third "situation" - the college class. I read an article written by a Physics professor at a certain college and he was very troubled by a phenomenon that seemed to be becoming more and more prevalent with his students. He reported that what was occurring in his classes was this: that approximately 10% of his students would call him, come by his office or in some way contact him trying to "negotiate" a passing grade after the class grades had been posted.

When these students saw that they had received a failing grade it suddenly dawned on them that "this just can't happen." Why, if I fail this class I'll lose my scholarship. I might even get kicked off the team or flunk out of school and have to face my parents. That's when they went into the "negotiating" mode. When they realized the ramifications of NOT doing the work that would have gotten them a passing grade.

Another thing that really bothered the professor about this "situation" was the general attitude of the "negotiating" students. He said that they felt that they "deserved" a better grade because they were willing to beg him for one. He also noted that they seemed bewildered and shocked when he would not change it for them. They thought that he was being unfair about this "situation" because they were being judged by their "performance" rather than their "desires."

Now let's look at our Biblical references and then see if we can draw a spiritual conclusion to our "words, situations and Bible references." Can you recall a "negotiation situation" in the Bible? Oh, there are probably several of them you might think of, but the one I'm going to use here is the parable of the 10 virgins found in Matt. 25:1-12. You remember them - 5 were wise and 5 were foolish.

It's really a very simple lesson shown there by Jesus. He said that 5 of them "did" and "were prepared" to enter into the bridegroom's house. But, 5 of them "did not," were "unprepared" and were not allowed to enter. We see that they tried to "negotiate" by crying out (begging) "Lord, Lord, open up to us." Reminiscent of the professor and his failing students, they wanted to be let in even though they didn't perform. And, just like the verdict issued by the professor, the answer the "foolish virgins" received was "Verily I say unto you, I know you not."

How about tying these thoughts in with that oft-cited passage from Matt. 7:21 where Christ said: "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Just sitting in class every now and then won't cut it. You have to "do" the class work.

Still using our 3^rd situation, the college professor and his students, let's read some verses found in the 22^nd chapter of Revelation, to wit: 11-14. You'll notice there that, at the time of judgment, those who were "unjust" will be "unjust still." And those that are "filthy" will be "filthy still." In other words, your grades have been posted and no amount of "negotiations" will change them.

Now take a look at what is said in verse 12 - that everyone will be rewarded "according to his work." Not according to what they desire, or what they'd like to receive, or even what they feel they deserve. No, they will be rewarded according to whether they performed the work as they were instructed.

Verse 14 brings it home to us and as you read it keep in mind what Jesus said in Matt. 25 about the wise and unwise virgins. "Blessed are they that 'do' his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

Here's the concluding thought: your earthly life is your classroom. Christ is the "Professor" and has issued the "lesson plan" that, if "done," will result in being awarded a "passing grade." If we, the students, fail to follow the "Professor's curriculum and "don't do" what's required by it, we will fail the class and will not be rewarded with a "passing grade." And no amount of "negotiating" or begging will change it.

When class is over, when the grades are posted, the "unjust" (the failures) will be "unjust still" and the "righteous" (the passing) will be "righteous still."

Ron Covey