I Can't Fall! Can I?

One of the favorite sports of Christian writers is to beat up on the disciples of Jesus.  They were untaught.  They were rude.  They were self-centered.  This is all true.  I don't mean to precipitate further abuse, but there is an occasion when I am captivated by their attitude.  They were celebrating Passover.  And in Matthew 26:21 (ESV) we read: "And as they were eating, he [Jesus] said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 

To a man, each one asked the Lord, "ἐγώ εἰμι, κύριε (Is it I)?"   Now that is an unfortunate rendering in our English Bibles.  In the original language, the question Lord, is it I? suggests that a negative answer was cautiously expected by each one, “It is not I, is it?” [1].  

There is something in us as humans that thinks better of ourselves than we ought.  “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1 Corinthians 10:12, ESV).  I am still riddled by arrogance and self-centeredness (just like the Twelve); and there is a weakness in me that often thinks, "That can't happen to me."   The years of marriage and parenting along with the journey as a follower of Christ are slowing showing me that it can happen to me.  I can fall.  I can act disloyal to my Savior.  I can, at least for a moment, betray Him.   Yet I'm still surprised.  "Not me!?!?"

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1.  KJV Bible Commentary. 1994 (E. E. Hindson & W. M. Kroll, Ed.) (1953). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

 

Should you pick the dead heads off the petunia?

My wife has left me.  No, not permanently.  While she is reminiscing with extended family I have the formidable task of removing dead heads.  Now the question is why?  The main reason to deadhead is to make the plant flower again. Plants will continue to flower if the flowers are removed before they create seeds. Then again, if you want more plants then you should leave the deadheads on.  So in the immortal words of Hamlet: "To deadhead or not deadhead, that is the question?"

To frame the question in another way: "Is the goal of the plant to reproduce, or is the goal to look pretty?"   I would argue from Scripture the former.  No, I'm not going to hit my wife over the head with the Good Book in support of my delinquent deadheading.  She likes pretty.  I like pretty.  But as a Christian pastor I am struck by this apparent dichotomy. 

Yes, sometimes we followers of Jesus can become obsessed with looking pretty instead of reproducing.  If my experience counts for anything, reproducing isn't pretty. Sometimes its hard work.  Sometimes its discouraging.  Sometimes its oppositional.  But when it happens; now that's pretty.  The reason it is hard is because we are called to do something (reproduce) what only God can do (regenerate).  I find that difficult sometimes because God seems to be on a very different timetable than I'm on. 

Now please don't mention patience 'cause that reminds me of flowers; and flowers remind me of petunias.  Excuse me I have to go back to deadheading.