When I was a teenager westerns ruled primetime. There was everything from “Gunsmoke” to “Have Gun Will Travel.” Richard Boone played a crusading gunslinger named, “Paladin.” I always thought that was such a cool name and never dreamed of how very carefully that name was chosen.
The word “paladin” means crusader, a heroic champion. I should have known because the second line in the theme song is “A knight without armor in a savage land.” But, then I was only a boy and didn’t know much.
The more we know about something the more interesting it is. I have a good friend who teaches art history. Going through the San Francisco Fines Art Museum with him was a real treat. It was so much better than going by myself. He held me spell bound with all the details about the paintings we saw.
Knowing about Jesus is the same way. The more we know the more interesting He becomes. What is really interesting is Jesus said, “If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” The more we know about Jesus the more we know about God. One of the key reasons for Jesus’ life on earth was to tell us the truth about God. Prior to Jesus’ ministry God got blamed for everything that went wrong. We should have known better because the Book of Job clearly reveals who is the source of trouble. Never-the-less God got the blame. Jesus reveals God to us as a loving Father who longs for His children to come to Him. He waits for us with blessings.
Written by Roger Bothwell on August 25, 2003
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