ACE #421: A Grown Up Look at 'Tom and Jerry'

Over the last few weeks, our daughter has grown very fond of the "Tom and Jerry" cartoon.  When I was younger, I used to watch it religiously.  Back then, I didn't really pay attention to the dynamics of Tom and Jerry's relationship.  I just thought that they were natural enemies of one another because Tom is a cat and Jerry is a mouse. Makes a lot of sense, right? The other day, as a grown up, my perspective shifted.  There was more to their relationship. 

Yes, Tom and Jerry were bitter enemies themselves...until they found a common enemy.  Then, they put their differences aside and teamed up to conquer their common enemy.  A clear example is when Jack was trying to escape the Giant in the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" - Tom and Jerry worked together to help Jack, but also to save themselves.  Later, they became bitter enemies all over again.  After their common cause, the Giant, was defeated, it was back to business as usual.

It reminded me that when we are walking in God's light or His favor is apparent in our lives, common enemies will unite to conquer us.  Don't believe me?  Then let's look at Scripture.

1.  In Matthew 27, the chief priests and the elders united with Judas to kill Jesus. 
2.  In Mark 12, The Pharisees conspired with the Herodians to destroy Jesus. 
3.  In John 11, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to the Sanhedrin together to bring charges against Jesus.
4.  In John 15 it reads:
²⁴ If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’

And, clearly, it was all without reason. 

So, be mindful of who your real enemies are; Judas was right in sight of the other disciples and they sensed nothing - but Jesus knew.  It pays to be prayed up in the Spirit and to study the Word so that we can more accurately discern the enemy.  More importantly, it is so that we can be prepared for the attack - even when it is on our character, our integrity, our testimony and especially our purpose.  And, for the record, if we weren't doing "Kingdom work", no one would feel it necessary to forge partnerships in order to attack us in the first place.  The fact that not one of those groups could bring Jesus down alone says a lot about who they were, but more about who He was, is, and is to come...

So, who are your "Toms" and "Jerrys" of the world? Whose are you?  Be careful who you form alliances with and against.  Each person will be held accountable.
 

Psalm 2

The Reign of the Lord's Anointed

2 Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
³ “Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”