Watchword:
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters,[a] stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my joy and the crown I receive for my work. 4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.[c] 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Philippians 4:1,4-6
29 The teacher of the law wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. 31 “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. 32 A Temple assistant[b] walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.
33 “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. 34 Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. 35 The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins,[c]telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’
36 “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked. 37 The teacher replied, “The one who showed him mercy.”
Meditation:
Let Your Gentleness be Evident
How are we to read this statement? One way is to let your moderation be known to all – don’t keep it a secret, let it be such that others may see it. This does not mean to make an obvious display of it, but that it should be such a characteristic of our life that it would be visible to others.
We all have the power to minimize anger or stir it up in response to someone or something said. I came across another translation that puts it this way: “A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare”. A gentle person doesn’t stir up drama, point out the mistakes of others, or compete with neighbors.
A Latin translation uses “your modesty”. The Arabic versions has these words; “your meekness”, or “humility”; and points out graces which are all part of moderation. Still another version renders it, “your authority”, which does not seem to agree with moderation, other than not exerting authority and power to the uttermost, but in showing clemency and lenity, without severity.
In this letter of Paul to the Philippians, he is seeking to bring calmness in the face of some stresses and arguments within the church. The apostle had been stoned, beaten, imprisoned and is now writing from a Roman prison, not knowing what his future would bring. Yet, he calls for gentleness. Amazing.
I like the idea of moderation and gentle response. We seem too readily, in society, politics and the church to choose up sides; reds versus blues, this but not that, etc. Minor disagreements grow rapidly into major hurdles, and pretty soon pride gets in the way of peace.
I think about the awful split between the Jewish nation in the Samaritans. Based on my research for a historic fiction novel, I wrote the following in my Prologue:
“The Deep division between the people of Samaria and the Jews of Judea was long entrenched, and, over the centuries, had been passed from one generation to the next. Some believed that the animosity began when Samaritans opposed the reconstruction of the Jerusalem walls, after the end of the Babylonian exile, more than 500 years before.
Samaria had always been a mix of races, ethnicities, and beliefs that ranged from idol worship to the worship of God on Mount Gerizim, instead of the Temple in Jerusalem. Compounding the problem, was that the Samaritans who believed in God, only accepted the Torah, while rejecting the Hebrew Bible.
Forgiveness was not a part of the lexicon for either Jew or Samaritan. The hatred and distrust persisted and was a real chasm between peoples.”
We may wonder at the long-standing hatred of these two peoples from the vantage point of today, but it was such an obvious part of life in Biblical times. So that when Jesus was speaking in the Temple and was tested by an expert of the law, he used the parable of the Good Samaritan as the lesson. The expert reluctantly agreed that it was the Samaritan that showed mercy, when even the rabbi “passed by on the other side.”
So, here we are, in the age of enlightenment, where calmness and reasoned dialog prevail. Where compromise is a means to agreement. Where brother love is more than a song. Wait! What? I spaced out into a fantasy world. Sorry about that. My ‘wish it were’ replaced my reality. I think it best if I pause right now, and bring this to a gentle close. Amen.
Humor for the Day:
Barman says to Paddy “Your glass is empty, fancy another one?” Lookin’ puzzled, Paddy says “Why know would I be need’n two empty glasses?”
“Young man,” said the judge, looking sternly at the defendant. “It’s alcohol and alcohol alone that’s responsible for your present sorry state!” “I’m glad to hear you say that,” replied Murphy, with a sigh of relief.” Everybody else says it’s all my fault!”
Morning Prayer:
Jesus, my Savior and Master, model of all perfection, I resolve—and will try this day—to imitate Your example, to be like You, mild, humble, gentle, zealous, charitable, and resigned. I will redouble my efforts to see Your image in all those I meet and deal with this day, and to be as helpful to them as I would be to You. I resolve to avoid this day all those sins which I have committed heretofore and which I now sincerely desire to give up forever. I pray, Lord, for our country, that differences can be resolved, accepted, and peace restored. Bring us closer to You. I offer these prayers in the name of Jesus The Christ. Amen.
