Christ Chapel Church

A Parable About Obedience-Pushing the Rock

There was a man asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room was filled with light, and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man He had a work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did day after day.

For many years, he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night, the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture, placing thoughts into the man’s mind such as, “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it, etc.”

Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.

These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man even more. “Why kill myself over this?” he thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum of effort, and that will be good enough.” And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.

“Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock a half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

To this the Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back brown, your hands are calloused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard.

Through opposition, you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass those that you used to have. Yet you haven’t moved the rock.

BUT YOUR CALLING WAS TO BE OBEDIENT, TO PUSH AND TO EXERCISE YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN MY WISDOM, this you have done. I, my friend, I will now move the rock.”

Obedience over Outcome: God's instruction is to push, not to move the rock. The focus is on the man's willingness to obey and persist in the task, regardless of the visible results.

Character Development: The struggle to push the unmoving rock builds the man's character, teaching patience, resilience, and faithfulness.

Spiritual Growth: The experience is intended to deepen the man's faith, showing him that God's power is not dependent on human effort or immediate success.

Trust in God's Timing: The parable suggests that while God might eventually move the "rock" (a problem or obstacle), the timing and method are His own, and the person's role is to simply obey and trust.

Love comes first, then obedience, and lastly the promise of the Spirit.