This has been an unusual week for Barabas!  A week ago Friday, he did not feel good at school.  In fact he hasn’t felt good for some time.  The school nurse took his temperature and it was 102!  And Barabas’s arms and legs ached.  The school nurse called Uncle Floyd and he came and took Barabas home right away!  It looked like the flu, but by Saturday morning Barabas felt worse and worse and his fever stayed high.

Uncle Floyd was beginning to worry! 

Do not worry about anything, but bring everything to God in prayer. Philippians 4:6

Uncle Floyd did two things.  He prayed for God’s help and he called the doctor.  THAT is how Saturday started.  Saturday finished with Barabas in the hospital!

Do you remember that last summer Barabas broke his vase?  You see, Barabas is the kind of puppet that has no legs.  He needs to stand on a vase.  And when he had that accident last summer and his vase broke, he needed a major operation to have a new vase installed.

The doctors did a good job and it was a perfectly good vase, but here, a whole year later, Barabas’s body began to reject that new vase.  That is why he got so sick last week!

So last Sunday afternoon, while I was camping, I didn’t even know that Barabas was in the hospital having major surgery!  I went to visit him as soon as I heard.  And so did a lot of people.  Mr. Gym Teacher brought his homework to him and helped him learn his lessons.  And Elizabeth brought a home made get well card to Barabas that all his friends signed.  And Sam came and they talked about playing video games when he gets back home.  And his nurse, Nurse Fran, has been wonderful to Barabas.  Pastor Ed has come every day and said prayers with Barabas and Uncle Floyd.

The people who visited Barabas did what is HONEST, just, and pure and pleasing and commendable.  They were excellent and praise worthy.  They showed God’s love to someone who needed it.  Because surely, Barabas needed it.  Having a new vase installed is very painful. 

Now, just like last summer, there was the problem with Uncle Floyd’s insurance company and the cost of the new vase. 

And so it was that once again, some one known only to Pastor Ed and Nurse Fran, some one that no one expected, paid for the cost of the surgery.  

In the gospel lesson today we are invited to a celebration.  Some people came.  Some did not.  Coming to the celebration means joining with God.  Aunt Gertrude joined with God when she paid the cost of Barabas’s surgery. 

We also should join with God and participate in the celebration, the celebration of Good News, the love of God through Jesus Christ our Savior.

THE END

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