A man found a lamp and decided to rub the dirt off. After doing so, a Genie appeared. The Genie told the man he would grant him three wishes, but everything he got would be doubled to his mother-in-law. The man first wished for 10 million dollars. The Genie reminded him that his mother-in-law would get 20 million dollars. The man said, "Okay." The man's next wish was for a house by the sea. Once again, the Genie reminded the man that his mother-in-law would get two houses by the sea. Once again the man said it was okay. The man's last wish was to be beaten half to death.
Oh, those mother-in-law stories! I even remember a popular song in the fifties that crooned about the miseries of having to deal with a mother-in-law. But not all mothers-in-law are bad. After all, my mother, who's a pretty nice lady, is someone else's mother-in-law.
It's real easy to catagorize people and conclude that everyone in a certain class is one particular way or another. Jesus thought there was good in almost everyone, even mothers-in-law. Remember, He healed Peter's mother-in-law of a great fever - (Mt. 8:14, 15). And do you remember the wonderful lady who was the mother-in-law of the biblical Ruth? Naomi was her name and Ruth was deeply devoted to her, even refusing to separate from her to live among her own people - (Ruth 1:16, 17). Yes, indeed, there are some wonderful mothers-in-law out there.
So don't be given to that spirit that demeans people by groups. People, all people, must be taken one by one, and each must be judged on his own merits. I'm a preacher and I resent the image that television and the movies often portray of those in my profession. Don't you resent that same kind of treatment? Well, remember the Golden Rule?
Lonnie Ritchie