The people in biblical times loved riddles and puzzles.  Think of Samson who posed riddles prior to his wedding.  The Queen of Sheba checked out Solomon using riddles.  Some of Jesus parables could be classified as riddles.

So we used a riddle for a children’s message on Sunday.

What does an oyster, bread mold and Martin Luther have in common.  Becky asked me that question early last week.  I had no idea.   Each of them had a secret within them that God used to create something good and beautiful.  The answer to the riddle served as a children’s message on Sunday.

God uses a bit of sand inside an oyster to create a pearl.  Jesus used the pearl of great price in one of his parables.

In the 1800’s a scientist was working with some bread mold.  He accidentally touched it to a sore on his hand and the sore healed.  Investigating the mold further led to the development of penicillin.

I had pneumonia when I was about seven years old.  Penicillin was relatively new in the immediate post World War II days.  They gave me a shot of penicillin every three hours to overcome this deadly illness.  Something that looks revolting had the hidden secret within it to save lives.

God used Martin Luther, an ordinary person, to once again reveal the secret of the Gospel to a church and the world, who lived in fear of the church’s power and God’s judgment.