There once was a man named George Thomas, a pastor in a small New
England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the church carrying a
rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Several eyebrows
were
raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak.
"I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward
me, swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three
little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the boy and
asked, "What you got there son?"
"Just some old birds," came the reply.
"What are you gonna do with them?" I asked.
"Take 'em home and have fun with 'em. I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out
their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."
"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do
then?"
"Oh, I got some cats. They like birds. I'll take 'em to them."
The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those
birds,
son?"
"Huh??!!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old
field birds. They don't sing - they ain't even pretty!"
"How much?"
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?"
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He
placed
it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor
picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where
there
was a tree and a grassy spot.
Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars
persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the
empty
bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come
from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I
just
caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used
bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!"
"What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce
each
other. How to hate and abuse each other. How to drink and smoke and
curse.
How to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have
fun!"
"And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked.
"Oh, I'll kill 'em."
"How much do you want for them?"
"Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take
them
and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and
kill you!! You don't want those people!!"
"How much?"
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "Your life." Jesus paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage, opened the door and he walked from the
pulpit.
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