A Spiritual Lesson In Toon Language: Lesson 47
Topic: Don’t Give Up Your Mission
Series: The Super Mario Brothers Super Show
Episode: Brooklyn Bound
Lesson PDF link: 47.pdf
Introduction
Does God have a mission for you in life? The answer my friends, is a resounding “YES”. There is always going to be something for us to accomplish for God (at His leading of course). In the Christian walk, we first get saved by Jesus’s blood that He shed on the cross. However, this is just the beginning. Once this walk starts, faith in Him and prayer will unlock the true secret of what one’s mission is. It’s not always a talent that God gives which will be your service, but a lot of times it is. God leads us to learn, grow, and be disciplined. Wherever one lands, there is bound to be "On The Job Training." For example, if you are a teacher, then every lesson plan teaches the teacher first. But, what if God lands you far from home? Will you get homesick? For most, the answer is probably yes. A lot of missions are peaceful — like teaching or humanitarian (even these can be surprisingly dangerous). Some missions are not so—like a warzone. Mental training is necessary in any and all mission fields. This isn’t always school. Some training in this will be done with experience and good advice (wisdom). Tough choices sometimes have to be made. Do you ever get tempted to run and hide from a mission or leave a job unfulfilled because you want to go back home where it’s comfortable, or want someone else to finish the job you were led to do? In our cartoon today, we are going to look at such a choice — comfort and/or home vs. what the mission is that is not yet completed.
I will now present our cartoon which is the Super Mario Bros. Super Show episode "Brooklyn Bound":
Cartoon Show "Brooklyn Bound" (Super Mario Bros. Super Show):
What did you see in this cartoon that’s interesting?
For starters, Mario and Luigi get planted facedown in the snow and they are fed up. Why?
They constantly get relentlessly chased by the bad guys and they aren’t any closer to fulfilling their mission seemingly. The next thing that happens is that our heroes fall through a trap door and almost die if it weren’t for quick hands. They see a famous plumber that they know — missing for years who found a map to home. Our heroes immediately want to be set free from their mission. Do you blame them? I personally don’t blame them a bit; however they are embroiled in a serious mission to save the foreign land called Mushroom Kingdom where the two have been planted to keep the Princess, the royal heiress of her world, safe. There is now the question of comfort vs. mission.
What would you do and would it be tough for you?
I think this would be extremely tough. Comfort feels great, but if I made the decision to go home then I am not so sure I would feel good about myself because the bad guys would be very strong (and probably would win) without a protector such as our heroes. I probably would want to go right back where I left off if it were possible after a restless night’s sleep and it’s not too late already. If firmly ground where I should be, then I would stay and fight. In this cartoon, our heroes first make the decision to go home. Why?
From what I gather, home is inevitably where their heart was laying. However, this decision was made much harder by something else. Koopa Kahn (King Koopa in a weird outfitted costume) captures Princess Toadstool and Toad. This makes Mario and Luigi think twice when it was almost too late. Our heroes ultimately made the right decision. They realize that their mission is not for the faint of heart.
In our Bible passages we see exactly this. The armies back then for Israel were evidently given the choice to stay and fight or go home in peace. This is an interesting scripture when it comes to missions.
The Bible States in Deuteronomy 20: 1 - 8:
Dt 20:1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.
Dt 20:2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army.
Dt 20:3 He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them.
Dt 20:4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
Dt 20:5 The officers shall say to the army: “Has anyone built a new house and not dedicated it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else may dedicate it.
Dt 20:6 Has anyone planted a vineyard and not begun to enjoy it? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else enjoy it.
Dt 20:7 Has anyone become pledged to a woman and not married her? Let him go home, or he may die in battle and someone else marry her.”
Dt 20:8 Then the officers shall add, “Is any man afraid or fainthearted? Let him go home so that his brothers will not become disheartened too.”
War is always a great risk. So is any mission in Christ. The unexpected can happen in the blink of an eye. This means losses of life, sacrifice of money, property, time etc. Not all missions prove to be dangerous; we must be mentally ground in Jesus Christ, the scriptures, brothers/sisters in Christ (for encouragement, support, prayer etc.), and most definitely our goals that God has for us since before time. However, one thing is clear. God comes first overall.
The Bible States in Luke 14: 12 - 24:
Lk 14:12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
Lk 14:13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
Lk 14:14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
Lk 14:15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”
Lk 14:16 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests.
Lk 14:17 At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’
Lk 14:18 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’
Lk 14:19 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’
Lk 14:20 “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’
Lk 14:21 “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’
Lk 14:22 “ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’
Lk 14:23 “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.
Lk 14:24 I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
This passage talks about the Marriage Supper Of The Lamb talked about in Revelation. Jesus’s true followers are revealed to have Him First Place and Front Row Center of their lives. This means that wherever your mission is — Keep God First in it and your feet firmly planted in the Lord Jesus Christ and don't make excuses to not do it.
To further put this point across, here is another passage.
The Bible States in Luke 14: 25 - 35:
Lk 14:25 Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
Lk 14:26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple.
Lk 14:27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Lk 14:28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
Lk 14:29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
Lk 14:30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’
Lk 14:31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
Lk 14:32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
Lk 14:33 In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
Lk 14:34 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
Lk 14:35 It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Discipleship takes no less than an all out commitment. This is not easy, but it is worth it. Whether at war, peace, or just a mission field that may even look like it’s not much etc. God wants a total commitment. Nothing can get in the way of true discipleship. In your Christian walk, pray for God’s plan, earnestly discern and stay with it. This, of course means if you are genuinely led to do something and a family member is not with you on it — you know God’s plan, you must stay your course on the mission. Material goods are also fine, but if they get in the way you mustn’t let them control either. God will use the material goods for His kingdom if God is first. Have faith on your mission that God will take care of you — especially when you need Him most. Stay focused, alert, and prayerfully faithful to God and his cause for you. Remember, all missions are bigger than you think.