Once in a Blue Moon

Last Friday, July 31st, we had what astronomers call a “blue moon.” I did have a clear night to see the moon and it wasn’t blue. The reason is that the name given to it has little or nothing to do with the color it appears. In fact, most blue moons appear pale gray and white, just like the moon you've seen on any other night. It has more to do with the rarity of the occurrence itself. It just doesn’t happen very often that you will have two full moons in one month. The last time it happened was in August of 2012; and, the next one will be January of 2018. It is the phrase that draws more attention than the actual occurrence. “Once in a blue moon” has come to be an idiom indicating a rarity. That fact brought me to following teaching from Jesus: And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:23-26 ESV). The context of this reading is after Jesus was approached by a young rich man asking him how he might “inherit” eternal life. Jesus told him to get rid of everything and “take up his cross” to follow Him. That was far too great a sacrifice for the young man and he merely walked away. Then Jesus answers the disciples question about how eternal life comes to a person. Simply, put it is impossible except for the grace of God. It is not “once in a blue moon” that someone might be able to work their way into heaven; it is never. Only as God gives this great gift of grace can a man enter heaven. Only then can we have eternal life. Thinking of the fullness and duration of this wonderful life, W. B. Hinson, a great preacher of a past generation, spoke from his own experience just before he died. He said, “I remember a year ago when a doctor told me, ‘You have an illness from which you won’t recover.’ I walked out to where I live 5 miles from Portland, Oregon, and I looked across at that mountain that I love. I looked at the river in which I rejoice, and I looked at the stately trees that are always God’s own poetry to my soul. Then in the evening I looked up into the great sky where God was lighting His lamps, and I said, ‘ I may not see you many more times, but Mountain, I shall be alive when you are gone; and River, I shall be alive when you cease running toward the sea; and Stars, I shall be alive when you have fallen from your sockets in the great downpulling of the material universe!’” How about you? Do you have that kind of life? You can today!