and the One who walks with me on it.

Monday, September 09, 2013

Why I Like Mator

       In my opinion, the world would be a better place if we were all like Mator, my favorite character in the movie Cars.  "My name's Mater... Yeah, like tuh-mater, but without the tuh."  He’s the owner of "Tow Mater Towing and Salvage" in Radiator Springs.  If you haven’t seen it, you should because there’s a great storyline to it. 
 
       Anyway, Mator is an old, beat up tow truck that befriends the arrogant race car, Lightning McQueen.  Mator isn’t much to look at; he has big, buck teeth, lots of rust, a missing headlight and hood, and can’t drive very fast.  He’s also okay with who he is, thinks the best of others- always willing to give them a chance, is humble, funny and fun, is kind, loving, lives honestly and is a very good friend.  We Christians could learn a thing or two from him!
 
     Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1Cr. 13:7 ESV
     13 times in NT “love one another” stresses it’s importance. (Jh. 13:34; 15:12,17; Rm.
     13:8; 1Th. 4:9; 1Pt. 1:22; 1Jh. 3:11,23; 1Jh. 4:7,11,12; 2Jh. 1:5)
     …not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think… Rm. 12:3
     …a man has no better thing under the sun than to eat and to drink and to be glad… Ec. 8:15
     A merry heart does good like a medicine… Pr. 17:22
     And be kind to one another, tenderhearted… Ep. 4:32
     A friend loves at all times… Pr. 17:17
     providing for honest things, not only before the Lord, but also before men. 2Cr. 8:21
     Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the face of his friend. Pr. 27:17
 
       At the beginning of the movie, Mater seems to not have any desirable talents, but eventually he shows a unique one- "the world's best backwards driver," and attributes it to his big mirrors.  He says, "Don't need to know where I'm going, just need to know where I've been."  So we all have talents that may not be easily seen or desirable by others, yet they are God given talents nonetheless, to be used for His glory.  And I would amend Mator’s saying to “Don’t need to know where I’m going, just need to know who I’m with.”
 
       Mator is the type of friend I would want (if he were real), and I’m just kind of wondering if that is the kind of friends we are to each other and to those who don’t follow Jesus Christ yet.  How can we claim to be following Jesus if we don’t treat others as Jesus did, believers or not?  “No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (Jh. 15:13) and He certainly laid down His life for me, for you, for all of us, that we could have the hope of salvation.
 
Remember,
        Jesus was close to Judas for three years, was He not?