The Tale of Two Houses (An allegorical thought...)

This is the tale of two houses...

The first house was on a hill at the edge of town. Everyone in town “knew” about the house, or rather the one who lived there. Old Man Gray had been there as long as any of the townsfolk could remember even though no one could ever remember seeing the old man. The house was even older than it's owner and its age, and years of neglect could be clearly seen...

...in the broken shutters
...in the paint that peeled over every inch
...in the broken and damaged windows.

Rumor had it that the place had been “haunted” by the ghost of it's previous owner. In fact, it had become a topic of daily discussion at the local taverns and diners. Kids walking home from school quickly ran past it because of it's reputation and frightening lack of appeal.

Everyone in town knew the stories that swirled around the old Gray place. They all assumed that they knew what was in there. In fact, townsfolk called it “The Ghost House” because they were so sure of who lived in the house now. This old house had become defined by the “ghosts” that had taken up residence

The second house was on a hill on the other side of town. Everyone in town “knew” about this house as well, or rather the one who lived there. He was a kind person called White, who took meticulous care of his property. The fence and shutters had a perpetually crisp coat of white paint. The yard was clipped and welcoming to people who passed by. It had not always been that way, though.

The story about town was that White paid entirely too much for the old house when he bought it. Although that may have been true, the old man continued to pour thousands of hours and dollars into the remodeling. Townsfolk watched the transformation with curiosity for years, wondering what White was up to.

It was clear that he was a good man. They could see it in the way he took care of the place He lived. They could see it in the way he invited people into his house. Even when his house was “a mess” from remodeling, he would go out of his way to live his life openly, and humbly ask his guests to "excuse the mess." Truth was, the townsfolk began to say “that house would have crumbled down to the ground if White hadn't of purchased it.”

The moral of the story:
1. Both houses had a reputation in town
2. Both houses were defined by the ones who “lived” there
3. Both houses were a reflection of the one who “lived” there


Who lives in you?

“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit,
who lives in you and was given to you by God?”
1 Corinthians 6:19

Listen to the sermon at www.theintersectionchurch.net/listen-online