I love it when illustrations are used to help explain a point that someone is trying to make. I enjoy sermons that present a well though out argument from scripture where an illustration is used to present the main point in a tangible way that I can seem to grasp. A good illustration seems to make the point come alive to me.
My wife (Rhonda) and I were going for a walk the other day and we were talking about some of the good illustrations that we’ve heard in the past. The following story, one my favorites, came up:
“As a tour guide took a group through an art gallery in London, he stopped before a painting entitled Checkmate. (I don’t know the name of the artist or the gallery, but it’s supposed to be a true story.) The guide talked about the painting, the style and texture, and then moved on. But one of the groups stayed behind, staring at the chess pieces on the chessboard in the painting. The chess game was between the devil and Dr. Faust, who had sold his soul to the devil. It appears as if the devil has won. Faust has only the king, the queen, and a weak pawn left. The devil has a smirk on his face, as if waiting for the final verdict, Checkmate! The young man who stayed to study the painting was a chess champion from Russia. When the tour group was two corridors away, they suddenly heard their stray
member running down the marble hallway to catch up, shouting, “It’s a lie! It’s a lie! The king has another move. Another move!”
The illustration can be used to make the point that no matter how beat up you are in life and no matter how hopeless your situation may seem there is still one move you can make and that is turning to Christ. Your life can be move from defeat to victory if you choose to follow Him.
I started wondering about the painting and who painted it and if I could get a copy. At home Rhonda did some research and found out that the story is fiction. That was disappointing. I still love the illustration because it’s a good one to make a point but when the stories are true they are make more of an impact.
I started thinking about all the times I’ve heard this illustration in a sermon or teaching and how it was presented as a true story. I wondered what people who heard this story thought after they found out it really wasn’t a true story. Did it damage the witness and message of the Gospel that was being presented at the same time? If someone told you how God came to earth as a man, was crucified and died for the sins of the world and then rose again and also told you the checkmate story and presented both as true and later you found out the checkmate story was a legend would you also be tempted to think that the God as man story was legend? You’d probably take the overall character of the presenter into account but not all hearers would be that gracious.
I realize this seems like a small thing but it made me stop to think about my credibility before others as a follower of Christ. I’m responsible for living a life that honors Christ before this world and must be careful about the credibility of my witness. Do I make statements as truth without checking my facts because it’s easy when it may cause me to lose credibility later?
I’ll continue to use the Checkmate illustration where the Lord provides an opportunity but now I’ll be sure to point out that the story is not true in order to guard against the illustration does not take away from the truthfulness of the Gospel being presented.
