Christian Living

---

Identity Crisis: Part TWO
The three little pigs

When I remember the classic story of the three little pigs, I am immediately catapulted back to my childhood days when my naïve mind was coloured with awry, fascinating fairytales such as this one. Nothing was impossible in my mind then- I easily believed any odd cook-up: animals could talk, gnomes abided in caves, and an old, hefty Caucasian man with a dangling, white beard called Father Christmas was a designated best friend to all the children in the world, including myself. What a travesty!

Most of us have grown up reading these fairytales- they form part and parcel of our childhood experience. In fact, wouldn’t it be true to iterate that most of us now adults still have such a mind filled with fantasies, magic wands and talking animals?

As tradition would have it, I am sure that you still remember the opening caption in a fairytale to be, “Once upon a time…” and the closing caption to be, “and they lived happily ever after.” As Children of God we anticipate to live happily ever after as our eyes are being enlightened everyday to know that it is only in Christ Jesus that we may obtain this blessing of eternal life ,and hence live ‘happily -ever -after’. Perhaps fairytales are not too far-fetched from our Jesus reality after all.

John 14:6a
Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life…”

In the story of the three little pigs, the pigs leave home at their mother’s advice to build a life for themselves. By way of disagreement they part ways and become independent from one another. When the first pig parts way with the others, he makes an ambitious statement that he will build the better house of the two. The same happens when the second pig leaves, he tells the last pig that his house will be the best to which the last pig purposes to build the best house. The three pigs part maliciously and in direct competition with one another. The Children of God cannot agree to disagree, and they most certainly cannot afford to compete! Despite our differences and our conflicts, we cannot decide to part ways. It is not that simple. We must always consider the greater cause which is to glorify the name of the Lord and not our own. When Jesus calls one, he calls another. Yes Child of God, you are indeed called to a high calling; but so are your sisters and brothers in Christ. There is no small calling or great calling. There is no superior calling or inferior calling. We have the same calling- to lift up Jesus’ name. It might be in different ways but there is no schism in Christ’s body. In the Father’s sight there is no superior Child or inferior Child. God does not specialise in favouritism. If ever you did not know- there is no nepotism in the Kingdom- God is not like you and I. He is holy, holy, holy…

It says in the Matthew 10 verse 1 that Jesus called the disciples to HIMSELF and boy did he know how to pick them! He called tradesmen, cynics, tax-collectors and two-faced maniacs all-in-one! These disciples of the Lord differed in moral standing, attitude, personality, status and age and yet they walked together, ate together and were in Jesus’ School of Life together. That is why ultimately, as recorded in Acts, they successfully heralded the Good News of God to the ends of the earth. To build the house of the Lord effectively, we need to be in relationship with one another. Being in a relationship does no presuppose that we should deny our differences and uniqueness, but being in a relationship with one another says that we walk side- by-side in spite of our differences. Child of God, do you have good relationships with the members of your congregation? Are you committed to those relationships?

Because the apostles’ focus was on Jesus rather than themselves, they were able to walk together. Before we can WORK together we need to WALK together. Paradoxically, if we were to walk together we will be able to work together. The disciples were human just like us! In the Body of Christ we must understand that there will always be one who spoils the fun, the unruly one who aims to sow discord between the brethren and that one who tries to push ahead of the rest. But let’s remember that Jesus bore all our iniquities, so why can’t we do the same? Let us learn from each other's mistakes and move on. Remember how Thomas doubted when the other apostles told him that Jesus is risen (John 20 vs. 24-29)? They said to him, “we have seen the Lord” to which doubting Thomas replied, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger in the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” Wow, what an incredulously bold statement! Insanely bold! Wickedly bold! Consider the apostles’ disposition at that present time, they were in peril, sought after and despised. They too, as Christ, were rejected by the society. Many of them had come to realise just ‘human’ they were, just how unloyal they can be. No wonder Thomas had grown so paranoid.

The hope of Christ’s calling kept the disciples together and the comfort of the Holy Spirit enabled them to love one another.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy, love does not parade itself; is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails…”


It is recorded in the Word of God that thereafter the apostles stayed eight days with Thomas. Why does the Word have to highlight that they 'stayed with Thomas'? It is to emphasise the unity of the apostle. Thomas was not edifying them in the faith, if anything he was their nemesis at this point but by virtue of having the same identity they fellowshipped with him and committed themselves to him, and together they waited on God.

In the story of the three little pigs we learn that one of the pig’s build his house with hay, the second with sticks and the last one with bricks. The pig that made a house with bricks clearly had the strongest house. Sometimes we as Children of God excel in building the strongest walls around ourselves, but let us not fool ourselves that we are the best. We can be so unapproachable and aloof to the world, even to ourselves in the house of God. Let us learn to tend to community rather than immunity. Have you realised that we are not so keen to commit to working together yet we are almost too keen to eliminate each other when the opportunity arises.

If the pigs had been less concerned about proving themselves and more concerned with one another they could have had the following results: each pig would be living in a brick house of his own, each sleeping in a comfortable bed of hay every night and with strong chairs and tables of wood to lounge in. Two is better than one and three even better!

1 Corinthian 12: 20- 27
But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honourable, on these we bestow greater honour; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honour to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

Now we also know this, the enemy is seeking fresh meat to devour; he is forever roaming around and roaring with anticipation. In the story of the three little pigs we learn how obstinate and zealous the wolf is. As children we would listen to this fairytale fearing for the three little pigs when we listened to how the wolf promised to “huff and puff and blow the house down.” Folk, the devil will never leave us alone but he promises to huff and puff and do whatever he needs to do to break us down. The fact that these three little pigs were alone added power to the wolf. The wolf understood that the pigs were vulnerable and thrived on that. These three little pigs had become three LONELY pigs. Now I am urging the members of the body of Christ to abide together in love, in one house build with bricks- a House build on the Word . I ask that we all learn to tarry together and most assuredly I tell you the Holy Spirit WILL fall upon us to perfect our fellowship. But first let us learn to honour God; in unity of spirit and mind.

May the Lord love and keep you in His love.
Lerato Sibanda

Look out for the next part of the series; still to be continued…

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE