WATCHWORD:
18 Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.
20 When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked. 21 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:18-22
Meditation:
Slow Down
Welcome to July! Oh, I do not like the way these days, weeks, months move quickly through our lives. I want things to slow down, just a tad. Okay, having gotten that out of my system, on to the Meditation –
The Pastor, sitting on the floor with a group of children, doing the children’s message. He asks “What has 4 legs, scampers around on tree limbs, and has a big bushy tail?” No answer from the children. He offers a clue, “it likes nuts!” Finally, after a lengthy period of silence one small boy tentatively raises his hand and says — “I know the answer is Jesus, but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me.”
It seems like, whenever we are confronted with a dilemma, we’re inclined to want that dilemma to be resolved in the most logical way. In this case, the boy’s experience with the pastor posed a conflict for him. He knew what it sounded like, but what answer does the pastor want?
Despite information to the contrary, the small boy was trying so hard to see Jesus Christ in that information. How much like us? We have a fixed meaning for a word or a passage, so it’s hard to see it differently.
There are times, even in my men’s Bible study, when I am surprised by how some of us read meanings into scripture passages that seems to run counter to how I would interpret the passage. Not that I’m a theologian or anything, but how can they possibly come to that conclusion? It’s clear to me! (Rarely is!)
Some of that misunderstanding stems from the history of how scripture has been passed down to us. When we dig into the meaning of certain passages, even to the point of researching Hebrew, or Greek or Latin, we are confronted with multiple definitions of the same word. What is one to do when the conflict between my understanding and your understanding is based on differing, but factual, definitions?
I really like to listen to Pastor Robert Morris preaching. I believe he is a spiritual man, and one who really knows his stuff. In many of his messages he points out the different meanings of a keyword, but in the end, those differing meanings does not take away from lesson.
In the passage above, can you imagine how the Disciples reacted to what they saw, and then tries to sort out the meaning, not so much the ‘if you have faith’ part, but the power to kill a tree with words.
Just between you and me, I don’t want to get lost in semantics, or the multiple meanings of words in different languages, when I read the Bible, God’s Word, God’s Holy Message. I like to read a passage, and, as Martin Luther has suggested, let the passage ‘read me’. In other words, asking myself or simply listening, what is the Lord telling me? What do I take away from these Holy Words that enriches my Walk?
Even though he wrote Bible commentaries, Martin Luther argued against the use of commentaries because he thought they altered God’s personal message to the individual reader, to us. Reading, with an open mind to meaning, not a scholarly study, would be a good approach to scripture reading. (I’m still going to use my commentaries! Sorry, Marty.)
Stan
Bulletin Board:
The funeral for Marcia Cole’s father, John Gaerte, 98, is Thursday at 11 a.m. at Hartzer Funeral Home, Akron.
Smile a While — A man is talking to God. “God, how long is a million years?” God answers, “To me, it’s about a minute.” “God, how much is a million dollars?” “To me, it’s a penny.” “God, may I have a penny?” “Wait a minute.”
A Morning Prayer for Strength:
Lord, I am weary and don’t know when this “race” will end in my life. I feel like I’ve been running forever, trying to outrun this trial. Help me to stop trying to outrun my pain but rather run with endurance the race you have set before me. I know that because of you I am ultimately a victor over the trials in my life. I know that nothing in this world can separate me from your steadfast love. Please give me a measure of your love today; give me the strength to endure this trial. Thank you for your love for me that never ends! And thank you for the crown of joy that awaits me forever in your Kingdom!
Amen.
