Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in his ballad “Der Zauberlehrling”, never intended to demonstrate a biblical truth. Neither did Walt Disney in his cartoon interpretation, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. But the story portrays an amazing reality.
At the cartoon’s start, Mickey Mouse tires of having to carry water for his master, so he dons the Sorcerer’s cap and magically trains a broomstick to carry buckets of water to fill a large vat for him. Gradually, Mickey falls into a deep slumber while the broomstick dutifully continues carrying the water, eventually overflowing the vat.
Surrounded by water spilling out onto the floor, Mickey awakens and panics. Unsure of how to undue the magic, he tries to stop the broom by chopping it to pieces with an ax. Unfortunately, each little splinter of the broomstick grows into a perfect clone of the original, resulting in countless broomsticks carrying countless buckets of water and pouring them into a dangerously flooded room!
Although not a perfect parallel, Mickey Mouse’s reaction in that old Disney cartoon reminds me of the New Testament Jewish leaders’ attempt to stop Jesus.
By removing Jesus from the earth via crucifixion, the Saducees and Pharisees set the stage for His life to be reproduced in every believer since the resurrection, starting an unending wave of God’s love and power. And now the body of Christ spans the globe, and He/we cannot be stopped!
In the cartoon, inherent programming empowered Mickey’s identical broomsticks, who did not carry the water simply because they had seen an example set by the original broom. That behavior came from within them; it was part of their DNA, so to speak. Similarly, any service we offer in this life should be birthed from within, not compelled from without.
Often in church, on the radio or TV, preachers urge us to follow Jesus’ example by serving others. While biblical, that teaching falls apart when we attempt it in our own strength. The key to Jesus’ obedience to the Father lay not in His determination, but in His experience of the Father’s love. When we grasp the immensity of God’s unfailing love for us, service to others will flow through us–just as it did through Jesus–because we share His nature (1 Corinthians 6:17, 2 Corinthians 5:17).
The problem most of us face is that we don’t know who we are or what we have. Hypothetically, had Mickey’s broomstick pieces viewed themselves as mere splinters, they’d have simply lain on the floor. But they “knew” their identity and instinctively behaved accordingly.
So who are we and what do we actually have? We are God’s beloved children who have, among other things, grace to live above our circumstances, peace that the world cannot give, joy in His presence, love flowing to and through us, the free gift of righteousness and the gift of the Holy Spirit, as well as the Word of God—our source of wisdom and insight. And because we’re believers, we believe!
With that knowledge, let’s go act like who we are. After all, it’s part of our spiritual DNA!
