A Little Child Shall Lead Page 1 of 6 Rev

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The Gospel in Mayberry – A Little Child Shall Lead Page 1 of 6 Rev. Jan Brittain, July 11, 2021 Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church

The Gospel in Mayberry – A Little Child Shall Lead Luke 18:15 -17

INTRODUCTION TO THE SERIES It really is one of North Carolina’s claims to fame. The homeplace of Andy Griffith and the hometown that was the model for Mayberry, America’s best known and most beloved small town. Of course, modeled on Mt. Airy or not, Mayberry is not actually a real town, only a television town. It can’t be real, for as Andy himself points out, there is no place on earth where all problems are solved in just 30 minutes. Still, some of us – lots and lots of us, in fact – still like to go to Mayberry if only for a 30-minute refuge from the pace of life today. There are a host of memorable characters on the show beyond what we would consider the main characters. Like Floyd Lawson, the lovable if frustrating barber with a shop next to the sheriff’s office.

And when Floyd leaves the show, Emmett Clark moves into his shop.

Mayberry’s number one fix-it guy. Here’s a little trivia for you. Andy Griffith’s best friend growing up (who he regularly visited in his hometown of Mt. Airy) was named Emmett.

And then there was the great comedian, Jim Nabors. Gomer ended up with his own show when he joined the Marines.

Gomer worked at Wally’s Filling Station and was a whiz at fixing all kinds of cars. When he left for the Marines, his cousin Goober took over with his ridiculous imitation of Cary Grant …. Judy, Judy, Judy.

And there were many, many more but when it comes to lovable characters, this little guy was at the very top of the list.

INTRO TO SERMON The relationship between father and son is at the heart of the show. Andy is portrayed as a particularly loving, wise, and involved father. It takes time to teach his son, to spend time with his son. He’s an involved father. Andy puts Opie to bed each night with a bedtime story. Opie’s favorite? The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. And then Opie says his prayers. Theirs is a special relationship for sure. In one show, Opie looks at his father and says “I reckon you know everything there is to know, Pa.” And it’s true, Opie learns a lot from his father. But Andy learns a lot from Opie too, as we all will if we pay attention to the children around us. I think that’s what Jesus was getting at when this happened:

Luke 18:15-17 15Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. 17Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”

We have much to learn from the children around us. And today, we are going to let Opie Taylor be that little child that can lead us, teach us, and open our eyes to see things we might miss or misunderstand.

LESSON 1 – COMFORT ONE ANOTHER It is rarely mentioned in the eight years of regular programming, but in the pilot show, made as part of The Danny Thomas Show, we learn that Andy is a widower. Opie lost his mother

______Unpublished work ©2021 Julianne Brittain The Gospel in Mayberry – A Little Child Shall Lead Page 4 of 6 Rev. Jan Brittain, July 11, 2021 Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church at a young age. We discover that when little Opie rushes in to share some bad news with his father. Opie’s pet turtle has died. Andy thought he could take care of Opie’s tears by just wiping away the loss. ‘I’ll get you a new turtle.’ Sometimes we attempt to do the same thing. We ignore or diminish the losses felt by others. That’s never a good thing. Our job is to console others in their loss, not ignore it or rush by it.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, 4who consoles us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God.

With a little help from Opie, Andy realizes that his son’s loss needs to be acknowledged, valued, and marked by a special time of remembering. That’s a lesson we could all learn from Opie Taylor and from the Bible, of course.

LESSON 2 – JUDGE NOT And here’s another. This was a little bit painful for Andy. And if he’d just paid attention to the teachings of Jesus, he would not have needed to learn this lesson from Opie. Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 7:1-5 1“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. 2For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. 3Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? 4Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’

______Unpublished work ©2021 Julianne Brittain The Gospel in Mayberry – A Little Child Shall Lead Page 5 of 6 Rev. Jan Brittain, July 11, 2021 Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church while the log is in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.

As the old saying goes, when you point your finger at others, three fingers point right back at yourself. Judging others is never a good idea. That’s a lesson we can learn from Opie Taylor and from the Bible, of course.

LESSON 3 – THE GOLDEN RULE And then there is the ultimate lesson – the way the Bible teaches us to treat others, all others. The ones we like and the ones we don’t like. The ones who are like us and the ones who are different from us. The ones we agree with and the ones we do not agree with. You know what Bible verse I’m talking about. Do unto others – as you would have them do unto you. Easy to say, hard to do. And often, it’s what we expect from others but fail to do ourselves. Andy learns this when he discovers that Opie has made quite a trade – a button for a pair of skates and a little money too. Treat others the way you want to be treated. That’s a lesson we can learn from Opie Taylor and from the Bible, of course.

CONCLUSION Children say the darndest things. That was an old TV show that I think has been resurfaced. It’s true – out of the mouth of babes come some amazing things as the Psalmist says (Psalm 8:2). Recently, his parents were putting sunscreen on my little two- year-old grandson. He did not want to cooperate so they attempted to explain: If you don’t use sunscreen now, when you are older you

______Unpublished work ©2021 Julianne Brittain The Gospel in Mayberry – A Little Child Shall Lead Page 6 of 6 Rev. Jan Brittain, July 11, 2021 Williamson’s Chapel United Methodist Church will have (they didn’t want to say cancer so they said) wrinkles. He thought about that for a moment and then said. Gran Jan is old. She didn’t use sunscreen. And he’s right – on both counts. Kids – all kids – have a lot to teach us. But to learn those lessons, we have to be watching and listening. And we’d better. After all, Jesus said the only way into His Kingdom was to come as a child. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Life Application Questions: 1) Have you ever experienced a loss and then felt that others didn’t recognize it? How did that make you feel? How can better recognize the loss that others feel and simply be present with them?

2) It is so easy to judge others. When have you rushed to judgement only to learn later (like Andy) that you did not have all the facts? Who are you in danger of judging right now?

3) When do you find it difficult to treat others the way you want to be treated? When money is involved? When you are driving? When the other person is someone you do not really like? When the other person is very different from you? How can we do a better job of following the Golden Rule in all relationships?

4) What children might God be using in your life right now to teach you important lessons?