Gospel Pumpkins

Whether you and your family participate in Halloween activities or not, all who belong to Jesus have a chance to SHINE brightly on this week.  If you’ve never known the origin of this holiday, this is an informative and concise explanation.  Underneath the evil spirits, ghosts, witches, and goblins, there really are some God-honoring roots in this “All Hallows Eve” day.  If God has not called your family to ignore this day (as He has some Christian families, us in the past, as well) then make a conscious choice to let Jesus shine brightly through you on a night that will be filled with much darkness.

One way to SHINE this week is through what you hand to trick-or-treaters.  October 31 is the one night in the year that the neighborhood children (and their parents)  will walk right up to your door with their hands out.  What an opportune time to place into those hands something that will lead them to a truth about Jesus, His love, and His redemption!  See this post for ideas.   

You could also talk about the Gospel Pumpkin with your family, and even print out a small version of this story to hand out to the neighborhood children.  It’s a condensed version of Liz Curtis Higgs’ wonderful book, The Pumpkin Patch Parable.  When our children were younger, we used this book and object lesson as we carved pumpkins with them.  It’s a simple and unforgettable illustration of exactly what God does with any life given to Him, and its now what I think of every time I see a carved and lighted pumpkin.

Today I want to tell you a story. It’s a special story called a ‘parable’. A parable is an earthly story that has a heavenly meaning. In the Bible there are many parables that Jesus told so we could understand His teachings better.

This is a story about a farmer and a pumpkin.

Pumpkins are really special. They start out as small oval seeds that grow into big, orange pumpkins. The farmer plants the seeds, waters, and cares for the pumpkin vines and patiently waits as they grow.

Finally by October there are big, orange pumpkins in his pumpkin patch! Some are tall and lean, some are short and round, and some have bumps and lumps. But they are all pumpkins and all were planted and cared for by the Farmer.

One day the Farmer chose a pumpkin for a special project. He brought it in from the field and washed it off. You have to be careful with pumpkins; they’re tough on the outside, but if you drop them, they break into pieces!

The Farmer took a large knife and cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin. Inside there was yucky, slimy pulp waiting for Him. That had to go! He cleaned it all out and threw it away – never to be seen again.

After that He gave the pumpkin a new face! He cut two triangles for eyes, a square for a nose, and a big, wide smile!

Then He did something really special. He puts a small white candle down inside the pumpkin and lit the wick.

Now that pumpkin glows! As people pass by, they see the smiling pumpkin and smile back. They know that once again the Farmer has taken a simple pumpkin and changed it into a glorious sight!

The Meaning of the Parable:

Just like us, all the pumpkins were different. But there was something the same about every one of them – that yucky, slimy pulp on the inside!

The yucky, slimy pulp is like the sin that’s in us. Romans 3:23 says: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That’s every single one of us.

God has made a way that all our sin can be forgiven and washed away. God even says He’ll cast them as far as the East is from the West. Romans 5:8 says: “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 goes on to say: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”

After cleaning out that pumpkin, the Farmer gave the pumpkin a new face! The Bible says God can make us a new creation too.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

Then came the really special part. The light was placed inside that pumpkin and it glowed for all to see!

2 Corinthians 4:6 says: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

And Matthew 5:16 says: “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

So we can become like that pumpkin – a glorious sight for others to see the love of Jesus!

Another good Christian object lesson with a pumpkin can be found here.

Whatever it is that you decide to do this week – Let your light {Jesus’ Light within you} SHINE.     🙂