BILLY, GRANDPA AND THE THREE SOLDIERS

By Michael K. Farrar, O.D.

© God’s Breath Publications

 

When I was a small boy, my dad and I used a vintage lead mold he had when he was a child, to make lead toy soldiers. It was lots of creative fun and as the soldiers broke or tarnished you could simply melt them down and make more soldiers. When my son was young I repeated the experience with him and again, we had hours of fun making soldiers and playing with them. This short teaching came out of that experience with my dad and son.

 

Billy ran up the steps onto the porch of the old farmhouse.

 

“Grandpa, Grandpa, I’m here!”

 

Billy grabbed the handle to the screen door and pulled it open to see a pair of faded blue jeans staring him in the face. He looked up and there grinning down at him was the weather-beaten face of his Grandpa.

 

“Hi Billy, ready to have some fun?”

 

“Sure thing Grandpa.”

 

“Before we go out to the barn to take care of the horses how about a Bible study?”

 

“Sure. I like hearing you teach me about God. Can I go get your big black Bible?”

 

“Sure Billy.”

 

Billy runs into the living room and picks up the large heavy Bible off of the coffee table. He struggles to walk as he carries it to his Grandpa. His arms quiver with determination as he attempts to lift it up to Grandpa’s huge hands.

 

“Here it is.”

 

“Let’s go out on the front porch and I’ll read to you.”

 

“What are you going to read today Grandpa?”

 

Billy’s Grandpa thumbs through the thin pages of the large Bible and then he begins to read.

 

“Matthew 13:43, Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

 

“What’s it mean Grandpa?”

 

“Well in this part of God’s Word its talking about how in the end God will weed out those that are doing evil from those that are doing good.”

 

“Who are the ones that do good?”

 

“They are the ones that accept Christ as their Savior.”

 

“So I’m one of those because last week I accepted Jesus in my heart?”

 

“Yes Billy, you are one of God’s good ones because He lives in your heart now.”

 

“Why does the part you read talk about the people shining like the sun?”

 

“Well you see Billy because Jesus lives in our heart we sorta shine with the glory of God because He is inside us and we are doing what He tells us because we love Him.”

 

“You mean we obey God kinda like a soldier does his commander? When God gives the orders and we obey Him then we can shine because we do what He tells us?”

 

“Well yes Billy, it’s kinda like that. When we accept Jesus into our heart His goodness lives inside us and as long as we obey Him we can shine for Him.”

 

“What happens if you don’t obey Him?”

 

“Would you like to do a little experiment? It might help you understand what happens if you don’t accept Christ in your heart or if you do accept Him but don’t obey Him.”

 

“Sure Grandpa, your experiments are fun.”

 

Grandpa went over to a shelf in the kitchen and took down a sealed tin box. He took out something wrapped in tin foil and put it in a paper sack. Next he went over to a display cabinet in his living room and took out two small boxes, one gray and one a deep black satin color and put them in the sack as well.

 

“Follow me Billy, off we go to our experiment.”

 

“This is goin’ to be fun Grandpa.”

 

Grandpa and Billy walk out behind the large red barn that stood across the road from house. Behind the barn was a large table that was always exposed to the hot summer sun.

 

“Well Billy, reach in the sack and bring out the black box for me if you can.”

 

Billy reaches in and does as he is told.

 

“Now Billy open the box.”

 

Billy opens the box and inside is a beautiful solid gold toy soldier.

 

“Wow Grandpa. This is pretty. It’s so shiny.”

 

“Yes Billy, this is like the Christian who has accepted Jesus in their heart. They shine like the sun because Jesus lives inside them and they obey what He says. Now sit it in the middle of the table.”

 

Billy places the gold soldier on the table. He squints as he looks at it for the sun’s reflection off its surface is almost blinding.

 

“Now Billy, reach in the sack and take out the gray box.”

 

Again, Billy reaches in the sack and takes out the gray box.

 

“Now open it Billy.”

 

Billy opens the box, curious as to what might be inside.

 

“Wow Grandpa it’s a shiny silver soldier.”

 

“Well Billy it looks like silver, but it’s really lead. I made that this morning with a toy soldier mold I have. When lead is brand new it shines bright like silver. Now place it near the gold soldier.”

 

Billy stands the shiny lead soldier next to the gold soldier.

 

“Now Billy take out the last thing in the sack.”

 

Billy reaches in and takes out the package wrapped in tin foil.

 

“Is it another soldier Grandpa?”

 

“Why yes it is. Unwrap it and we’ll see what it looks like.”

 

Billy carefully unwraps the package and as he does the sweet smell of chocolate fills the air.

 

“Wow, it’s a chocolate soldier!”

 

“Yes Billy, your Grandmother made it with a candy mold she has. Now place it next to the other soldiers.”

 

Billy places the chocolate soldier on the table next to the shiny lead and gold soldiers.

 

“What do we do now Grandpa?”

 

“We’re going to leave them there all day long and check on them tomorrow afternoon. Then I’ll finish explaining what happens in the end when people don’t obey Jesus.”

 

“Won’t somebody take them?”

 

“No they’ll be safe. We’re miles from anyone and no one comes prowling around here with my dogs running loose.”

 

“Okay.”

 

The next day late in the afternoon Billy and Grandpa decide to go out to the table where they left the soldiers.

 

“Well Billy what do you notice about the soldiers?”

 

“Well the gold soldier is just like he was when we left him, all bright and shiny.”

 

“Yes, Billy, that’s because he is made of gold a precious metal that doesn’t corrode and lose its shine. That’s how we are when we accept Jesus in our hearts and obey the Bible. We continue to shine and shine and shine. What about the other soldiers?”

 

“Well the lead soldier is still there but he’s all dull. He doesn’t shine anymore.”

 

“Yes Billy. Lead shines bright at first but it eventually fades and grows dull. That’s like people who accept Jesus in their hearts but they don’t obey the Bible. They don’t shine for Jesus like they could or should. What about the last soldier?”

 

“He’s a mess. He’s just a pile of melted chocolate and he’s all dry and broken.”

 

“Yes Billy, he’s like the people who never let Jesus into their hearts. They will eventually waste away. They never shine like Jesus because they never had Him in their hearts.”

 

“I wish everyone could have Jesus in their hearts Grandpa. Then we’d all shine for Jesus like the gold soldier.”

 

“Yes Billy that’s what God wants, but some people just don’t want Jesus in their hearts.”

 

“That’s sad.”

 

“Yes I know Billy. It’s very sad and God is sad about that as well.”

 

“Know what Grandpa? I think I’ll tell my friend Sam about Jesus. I want him to shine like you and me.”

 

“I think Jesus would like that a lot Billy.”

 

2 Corinthians 4:5-6

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

 

Matthew 5:16

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”