A Rose
Added on the 26th of October, 2005
Another message from Pastor Ben. It was not his story, but it is worth re-telling.
"There's a story that I heard (and it's not my story) but I want to share it. It's of a pastor who was speaking at youth rally. He often does this. He takes a rose and passes it around and tells people that, "God designed sex to be this beautiful thing. Just intricately designed, the smell, and just this gorgeous thing." He said, "Pass it around. I want you to touch it, feel it and smell this rose." So you know, when 1,500 youths touch a rose what happens? Yeah, there you go (it gets destroyed). So he got it back up at the end. He took that rose and said, "And who wants a wilted rose?" And he dropped it on the ground. Who wants something that has been passed around like that? And in that rally that day, there was a woman who had lived a life that would easily be described as a wilted rose. She went home feeling horrible. And she had friends who brought her there and she said to her friends, "Is that you what you think of me? A wilted rose? Is that how you look at me?" Who wants a wilted rose? Jesus one day, the Pharisees wanted to test him. And they came up to him with a woman they had caught in the act of adultery. Which means they walked into the room and took the woman and left the man. Brought her out to stone her for breaking this commandment. Remember what Jesus said (this is in John), "Whoever is without sin, whoever hasn't broken this commandment, you throw the first stone." And what happend? Everybody left. They all walked away and Jesus and this woman were the only two left. Jesus was the only one had the right to condemn her and what did he say to her? "They don't condemn you, neither do I. Go and sin no more." Who wants a wilted rose? Who wants Jesus?"