Supposing Him To Be The Gardener
On Friday morning, December 8, 1995 we celebrated the life of Richard Eugene Griffin. Our Lord called him home early and we will miss seeing him grow up at Prestonwood. His grandparents were able by the grace of God, to make it down from Indiana, and we certainly give God the praise for their presence. It was an unseasonably warm day, for which we were most thankful. The whole day was perfect.
I spoke from John 20: 11-16. We enjoyed a precious manifestation of the Lord during that service. The music was beautiful, the tears were cathartic, the fellowship was sweet. Mrs. Cathy Griffin asked about a recording, but this service had not been taped. Grandma Gordan had asked for a copy. In fact, so many have asked about the message that I wanted to give you my outline with a few comments that I used on the morning of Richard's service.
Through her tear dimmed eyes Mary did not recognize Jesus after His resurrection. John 20:15 says, "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? She, supposing Him to be the gardener....".
Think of our Lord in the fashion, if you please as a gardener. God placed the first man and woman in a garden environment. He would walk with Adam and Eve in the cool of the day, enjoying the garden atmosphere. It makes one wonder if Heaven will not be much in the fashion of a garden.
Suppose like Mary, for a few moments on the concept of our Lord as a gardener.
I. The Gardener Plans.
An experienced gardener does not haphazardly go to a plot of ground and start digging and seeding arbitrarily. Oh no! He carefully draws up some plans. He knows what and where he wants to plant. He will draw up plans in a blueprint fashion. He will carefully measure and calculate.
So also, our Gardener plans our life and makes careful note of how our personality will be constructed, what we will look like, if we marry-whom we will marry, and how long we will live. "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made... Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. (Psalm 139:14,16)
II. The Gardener Plants.
" And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." (Genesis 1:11)
Our Lord, The Divine Gardener plants the life on this earth and He also plants the love in our hearts for people. I was overwhelmed at the rich, vibrant love we experienced at the graveside for young Richard. Although God had not given Him very long to this earth, I sensed especially from Randy, Cathy, and Amber a genuine God-given love for this son and little brother.
III. The Gardener Protects.
My sweet mother-in-law lost her brother when he was only eight years of age. She told me not long after Barbara and I were married, "I believe God only allows what seems to be bad things to happen, to protect us from far worse things that would have happened in the future." In other words, God alone knows what the future holds. You may go through a crisis thinking, nothing worse could happen. Oh yes, something worse could happen and God knows. Maybe in preventing the worst possible thing, He allows the "bad". The word "bad" may be a poor choice of words because the Bible says in Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Our Heavenly Gardener watches out for the draught, the pests, and the elements. He wants only what's best.
IV. The Gardener Prunes.
Pruning is not a pleasant task, but it is a necessary one, for the plants and trees to grow and flourish. "Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;" (Leviticus 25:3).
Without the cutting back and cutting off there will be no fruit.
Our great Gardener knows what He doing and His fine eye knows the timing for this process. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)
V. The Gardener Picks.
At the homegoing of little ones or those who are called to Heaven in the prime of their life, confusion can take place along with the extreme grief. It is easy to wonder what wrong was done to bring a loved one to Heaven. Consider the son of Jeroboam. God took this little baby to Heaven, but why? Please make note of the Scripture:
"And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam." (I Kings 14:13). This babe was called home, not because of any bad done by him, but because of the good found in him. A beautiful thought isn't it!
Suppose Christ to be the gardener. See Him walk through the garden keeping a close eye
on his foliage, trees, and flowers. He has noticed a lovely rose bud forming and watches carefully over its growth and pattern. Early one morning our Gardener walks through His garden and carefully and deliberately severs the rose bud from the bush. His goal is to bring it to His personal table in His own mansion. He longs to set it before Him for His personal delight.
A few days ago God found some good thing in the rose bud of Richard Eugene Griffin. He removed his life (as we know it) from this earth to His table where Richard will open up in his full splendor.
It's only a little time and we will all see our loved ones who have gone before us as God sees them now, in full splendor, basking in the glory of God's presence.
Our prayers go with all of you who will be missing someone you love during this holiday season.
I love you.
Your Pastor,
Johnny Pope