Comments on: Don’t Ask for Underwear or Socks

By: Se7en + 1's Fabulous Friday Fun #201 - se7en

Se7en + 1's Fabulous Friday Fun #201 - se7en — Sun, 15 Dec 2013 01:00:27 +0000

[…] a look at this post on Head Heart Hand… Don’t Ask For Underwear or Socks, read it, watch it… go on […]

By: David Murray

David Murray — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 01:14:55 +0000

Leanne, I understand your point and appreciate the spirit in which you comment.

Somebody once said that “most parables are monopods and if we try to make them centipedes, they get all mixed up and go nowhere.” His point was that parables really have one main point not a hundred.

So in this case, the parable’s main point was that most people will not ask God for salvation either because they don’t believe it’s that simple (childlike), or because they just ask for lesser material things when they could have had Christ and His grace. The couple who got the TV illustrate the fact that God often gives us more than we really believed possible – not that we should ask for TVs instead of socks!

Like all parables, it’s limited and imperfect. But I still think it vividly illustrates one (or two!) important truths as well.

By: Julia

Julia — Wed, 11 Dec 2013 00:13:18 +0000

You’re making great sense, Leanne. The parable drew an irresistible analogy to make a valid point, but like all parables, it falls down when you take it too far.

By: Richard

Richard — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 18:04:58 +0000

I fly Westjet all the time and every time I think that if I ever leave the ministry (may God prevent) I’d love to work for them

By: Leanne O

Leanne O — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 16:49:52 +0000

(I’m also carring this conversation on FB so I’m trying to include my thoughts as they come to me here as well to try and give a clear picture of what didn’t sit quite right with me)
I realize Dr. Murray is saying that there is nothing compared to the greatest gift of all… there just seems to be an underlying current (for the reality of what happened) that suggests the people that asked for big things were smart and the people that asked for nothing… or JUST socks and underwear were “silly”. I said I appreciated his parable that NOTHING compares to the gift of Jesus Christ and that he wasn’t saying a TV was the all in all but that WestJet by holding on to that gift for last made it out to be the ultimate gift… I guess the more I think about it it’s just the insinuation that the man who only asked for socks and underwear was dumb… I have no problem with [your] pointing out that we expect little of a GREAT GOD who offers freely SO much more….it’s just not sitting right for how the comparison worked…. making any sense at all??

By: Leanne O

Leanne O — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 16:21:22 +0000

Dr. Murray, I appreciate very much the parable and lesson drawn from this video but I also have to admit I have a bit of a problem with the lesson drawn… we live in such a material world and so I’m not sure I like the idea of celebrating those who got big cause they asked big. The man who admitted he didn’t NEED anything other than socks and underwear and was content to not ask for more material things….well, I’m losing steam and not getting my thoughts out so clear… I guess, I’m affected by some recent pictures from my sister and a friend in Africa where people have NOTHING and LOVE ALONE is enough to bring on the smiles and tears. They don’t need things… and isn’t that what we need. The LOVE (through salvation) of Jesus only! That is the all in ALL! So I guess I’m struggling to see that compared to the “greatness” of asking for big impressive gifts and seeing people weepy because they get more material stuff… Not trying to be critical and judgemental…. just trying to share my struggle with it… to be fair I would also have to add that for the most part our family doesn’t do Christmas gifts…