The story goes, the way that I heard it, that Robert James, a Baptist minister and the father of Frank and Jesse James said that he once traded his two boys for a dog. Well, what happened was this: This old stray dog wandered onto their property one day and the dog took a liking to them and they to the mutt. Everything was going fine until they heard rumors in town that this old couple had lost their dog. The description matched the dog that they had. Someone told the couple that they thought that they had seen the dog on the James’ property. So, Robert James took that old dog behind the barn and chopped off its tail. When the old man came looking for his dog, he was sure that this was the one. But, with his boys standing there beside him, he lied to the old man and told him that it couldn’t be his dog, “for it didn’t have no tail.” “Them boys saw their dad lie and steal that day and they never stopped lying and stealing since that day.”

Frank and Jesse James grew up to be notorious bank robbers and died horrible deaths. Jesse James lived what he saw –hypocrisy. His father was a Baptist minister yet he lived a very carnal life. After Jesse James married, he and his wife and two children moved to St. Joseph, Mo. There he lived under the assumed name of Tom Howard. He went to church but never worked for a living. He recruited Charlie and Bob Ford to help him rob the Platte Bank. But during the planning of the robbery, the $10,000 reward for Jesse was just too appealing for Bob Ford. While Jesse’s back was to him, Bob Ford put a bullet into the back of his head.

You know, Jesus said that he only did what he saw his Father do. Then, while He was praying He said, “For them, I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.” Jesus knew full well that He lived His life for others. We too, should sanctify our lives for others. Yes, we are our bother’s keepers. Living for God is infectious and we should infect those living around us with the Word of God.