Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord –Col 3:20.
Years ago, there was a boy named Joey who lived with his father and mother on the outskirts of a city. One day Joey’s father gave him a brand new red and white bike, which he had been wanting for a long time.
There was a big hill close to their house where the big boys in the neighborhood enjoyed riding their bikes. Joey’s father strictly forbade him from riding with the big boys on the hill, since it was too dangerous. Instead, he was only allowed to ride down the nice smooth sidewalk, past numerous houses, through a little alley, and then finally back to his house once again.
As the days and weeks went by, this began to lose its excitement. He watched enviously as the big boys walked their bikes up the hill almost directly in front of his house. At the top they would jump on their bikes, and with gleeful shouts, race down the hardtop road, swiftly turning onto the adjoining street at the bottom of the hill.
“Whee, here we come!” they would shout as they rushed by, leaving Joey to pedal calmly on around his little block again and again.
“Come on Joey!” the boys hollered. “Why don’t you come up with us? See what fun we are having! You are too scared,” they teased.
Joey was too embarrassed to tell them that his father had forbidden him since he was too little and might fall off his bike and hurt himself. The boys would have only made more fun of him, so he remained silent. How he wished he could go up and show his friends that he was not afraid. Joey thought, “Maybe if I would go down the hill just once, my dad would realize that I’m not so little after all. Then Dad would be proud of me and let me go down the hill with the big boys anytime I want to. Oh, how exciting that would be.” The very thought made his heart beat quickly in anticipation.
Joey did not need to wait very long for his opportunity. His father was going to be gone for a couple of days on business. Joey thought this would be his chance to prove to his dad that he was able to ride his bike with the big boys. With excitement and anticipation, he took his bike up the hill. He felt so grown-up in the big boys’ company. Surely his father was wrong! Now he would prove to everybody that he knew better than anyone else what he was able to do and not do.
With a run and a hop, he was on his bike. As the bike went faster and faster, he grabbed the handlebars more firmly. At that moment, one of the mischievous boys, coming up the hill, tossed a stone at Joey’s tire as he flew by. Joey swerved sharply to avoid the stone. Before he knew what was happening, he was sailing thru the air without his bike. He rolled and skidded and bumped, before coming to a painful stop. Joey was one big mess. His pants and shirt were torn. He had cuts and bruises on his hands, knees, and face. No more was he thinking of being a hero of the great biking hill. Our little, humbled “hero” of the hill was taken home to his mother, who sympathetically and lovingly washed and patched his wounds.
The next day Joey’s father returned home. When he saw the bandages on his son and the damaged bicycle, he guessed the story immediately. Joey’s bike was put away in storage for several weeks as punishment for his disobedience.
Joey sat on the curb as the boys raced down the hill, then on to the other street. Now Joey had no desire to sneak off and ride his bike with the big boys. He had learned his lesson—to always obey his father, even when he thought he knew better. He realized that his father was not trying to ruin his fun but instead he was trying to keep him safe.
When Joey was again allowed to ride his bike, he was quite content to ride peacefully around his little block of houses. From now on he was going to obey his father, not only in matters of safety, but in all things.
