A couple of years in the past, D. James Kennedy gave a Christmas sermon at his Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, turned his most requested message.
It was titled “Merry Tifton” and it was a metaphor based mostly on a preferred TV present within the 50’s referred to as “The Millionaire”. On that present, a rich man named John Beresford Tifton gave $1 million {dollars} to individuals he apparently selected at random. The story highlighted the outcomes the reward produced within the lives of the recipients – some good and a few unhealthy.
The cash was offered by one other fictional character named Michael Anthony. In his will, Mr Tifton directed that his and Anthony’s descendants ought to proceed the observe.
Kennedy turned the story right into a Christmas message about individuals who had obtained the reward overseas and got here to America to see if they might discover individuals who had obtained the reward right here.
That is the place the metaphor begins. The 2 vacationers have been amazed to listen to individuals shouting “Merry Tifton” within the streets of New York. They stated to one another, “Oh, we’re in luck. We have discovered a Tifton. However is not it unusual that his identify is Macy? Properly, these Individuals are an odd lot. They noticed “Tifton playing cards” and “Tifton specials half -off” in store home windows, however with out point out of the reward giver.
They attended a Tifton Christmas occasion, however nobody might clarify why the individuals on the occasion have been celebrating or who Mr. Tifton was. A person who appeared “tipsy” to the vacationers defined that he thought it was an enormous black e book that contained data on learn how to get wealthy, however nobody actually believed {that a} man like Mr. Tifton existed. Nonetheless, he believed that the e book, which he admitted few had learn, contained some good ideas for creating wealth. Or so he had been advised.
Whereas the occasion was in full swing and getting louder, there was a knock on the door. When nobody answered, the door opened and a person got here in carrying a bowler hat and carrying an umbrella and a briefcase. The 2 vacationers have been excited as a result of they thought somebody on the occasion was about to obtain the reward of 1,000,000 {dollars}.
“Excuse me,” stated the person, making an attempt to get the viewers’s consideration over the din of loud conversations and clinking ice cubes. He stated he was there to present a present. He tried many times however to no avail. Outraged, he left.
As Dr. Kennedy stated, “Nobody noticed him coming, nobody noticed him go, and nobody obtained the reward.”
It is simple to get caught up within the superficiality of Christmas, which has little or nothing to do with “the reward.” Receiving the appropriate reward is the unchanging Christmas story – God reaches right down to us by way of a child in order that we would attain out to him.
As he preached this message, Dr. Kennedy that we’d not ignore the reward. Google all the message and if you have not obtained the reward but, take into account doing so this Christmas.
Comfortable Tifton.
Readers can e mail Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Search for Cal Thomas’ newest e book “A Watchman within the Evening: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (HumanixBooks).