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Checkmate?

Like many Minister’s during training, I attended “Preaching Class.”  One lesson I learnt from our tutor was “if you hear a good story, nick it!”  The other evening I heard a good story and, following my tutors advice, I have nicked it.  The story goes like this;

There is a painting by the 19th Century Artist Friedrich August Moritz Retzsch with the title “Die Schachspieler” (the Chess Players).  It has come to be, popularly, known, as “Checkmate.”  If you would like to look at the painting, an example of it can be seen at

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moritz_Retzsch#/media/File:Frederich_August_Moritz_Retzsch.jpg.

It is a depiction of a scene from Faust.  It centres around the bet, that Mephistopheles has, that Faust can be lured from the right paths into the Devils schemes.

On one side of the chessboard is the devil.  Having won most of the young man’s pieces, his face is a mix of cunning and triumph.  He arrogantly knows he has won the game.  In the centre of the painting stands an angel with a tragic look on his face.  On the other side, sits the young man.  His face depicts either concentration or, resignation.  Hope for victory has gone.

One evening, in 1888, a dinner party was held in Richmond, Virginia at the home of Rev RR Harrison, a keen chess player.  One of the guests that evening, was Paul Morphy, who was acknowledged as the greatest chess player of his era.

As the evening drew to a close, Harrison showed a copy of the painting to Morphy and explained how the painting depicted the Devil about to say “checkmate.”

Morphy examined the painting for some time and then replied, “I think that I can take the young man’s game and win.”

Rev Harrison was taken aback and responded, “not even you, Mr. Morphy, can retrieve that game.

With the challenge laid, they arranged the board.  The chessmen were placed in the same places as the picture.  Morphy told the onlookers, “the King has one more move.”  Morphy won the game.

I don’t know if you have ever felt like giving up, and yet, knew that God was calling you not too.  Over the years, I have been there a few times.  To hold on is not always easy, particularly when we can almost hear the words “game over.”  Perhaps, for some reading this piece, we need to hear some different words, “the King has one more move.”

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

(Jeremiah 17 vs. 7 – 8)

This week’s thought was written by Sean Fountain minister at Brentwood Baptist and EBA Trustee

(image by Pexels from Pixabay)