G.A. Studdert-Kennedy’s marvelous poem, The Gambler, describes the Roman soldiers who were gathered around the Cross as Jesus was dying:


Today when we think of gambling we think of state sponsored lotteries, casinos, decks of cards, dice, racetracks, etc. In the United States today gambling is at an all-time high. Government sponsored gambling is a regressive form of taxation adversely affecting primarily those who are poor.

Gambling, the taking of a chance, in and of itself, is not sinful. Some of the most worthwhile things in life involve taking a chance. For example, loving others involves taking a chance that you could be hurt. It is a gamble worth taking.

Studdert-Kennedy’s words are beautiful, “He was a gambler, too, my Christ, He took His life and threw it . . .” In other words, the redemptive mission assigned to Him involved the betting of His life. It was a gamble He willingly took.

Have you ever given any thought to the kind of risks the disciples took in order to follow Jesus? They literally gave up everything in order to share in His dreams. They would later see Him illegally tried, found guilty, and nailed to a Roman cross.

On Sunday night, after He was crucified on Friday, ten of the disciples gathered in an Upper Room. They were very likely totally confused and utterly defeated. Judas was not with them, for he had already given up and had hanged himself. Thomas was not there because he simply could not believe that Jesus had risen from the grave.

I strongly suspect that they thought their own lives were in danger. Suddenly Jesus appeared in their midst. He did not condemn them for losing faith. He did not call them cowards for running away and hiding. He knew the kind of risks they had taken in order to follow Him. He also needed them for what lay ahead.

He said to them, “Peace be unto you: as my Father has sent me, even so send I you” (John 20:21). Then, following the day of Pentecost, they went out to change the world. It was a risk worth taking.

Sharing the news of God’s love to the people in our world who need to know Him is still a risk worth taking, for it pays eternal dividends!

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Parkerson is a native of Georgia, a graduate of Mercer University [B.A.], Southeastern Seminary [M. Div. and Th.M.], and Campbell University [D.D.]. He has served as pastor of one church in Georgia and five churches in North Carolina. Following retirement as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Sanford on Sept. 30, 1996, he has served nine North Carolina churches as interim pastor. His column, The Paper Pulpit, has appeared weekly in a few newspapers and other publications since 1958. He and his wife, Jessie, live in Wilmington near their daughter and family.)