The Brothers Agreed in Deed

In a certain small town, two brothers met for lunch at a soda shop next to the old hardware store. This was a regular appointment and often included all sorts of good discussion. Jimbo, the Baptist, and his brother Cody, a Presbyterian, were fond of discussing spiritual matters and made a point never to bicker over whether or not babies should get their head wet in front of the church.

That day, as the brothers left the soda shop, they noticed a man standing on a small wooden chair, preaching in the middle of town-square. This was quite rare and Jimbo insisted that they stop for a few moments and hear the point of the preacher’s message.

“Hear ye, hear ye! Christ commands His people to starve the little children! The coming of the Messiah marked the beginning of an era in which little children should be barred from full membership in the Covenant of Grace. The Old Testament spoke of the Lord’s mercy from everlasting to everlasting and His righteousness to children’s children, but I say to you that the advent of Christ began a stark exclusion of children from full covenantal membership. The Lord’s mercy to His people’s children is now limited rather than expanded.”

And the brothers walked away scratching their heads, wondering which Scriptures the preacher had used to develop his message. While both brothers searched through the week to find biblical support for that preacher’s notions, neither was successful.

The following Sunday, as was their habit in their respective churches, Jimbo and Cody behaved in a manner consistent with the town-square preacher’s message.