Murderous Dogs....

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.” Matthew 5:21-22

So, last week, we were responsible for the care and well-being of our neighbors’ three pets. They’d gone out of town and asked us to take care of their parakeet, bunny, and dog. We’ve done this before, although the bunny and parakeet are rather new members of their household. Lotti and Nate get quite a charge out of being in charge, and thoroughly enjoy the additional responsibilities caring for these three diverse pets brings. To that end, they decided to take the dog for a walk last Sunday afternoon.

It was a beautiful autumn day, practically perfect weather for almost anything, but particularly for a walk. The kids decided to take the path behind the houses up to Chamisa. They made it there, and were preparing to come back, when a man and his dog came from the opposite direction. The two dogs took an instant disliking to one another, and each began to let the other know in no uncertain terms how he (or she) felt. After some work on the parts of my children and the owner of the other dog, the dogs were separated with no one hurt…yet. At that point, the man began to harshly chastise my children, and my son in particular (since he was the one holding the leash). He yelled at them and called them irresponsible; he told them they shouldn’t have “their” dog out if they couldn’t control her; he placed all the blame for the incident squarely on the slim shoulders of one ten-year-old and one fourteen-year-old, never accepting any responsibility for his own dog’s equal fervor in the fray. Both my children came home upset and visibly shaken; Nate cried, and said he didn’t want to walk the dog anymore because he didn’t want to get into trouble again.

Now, I’ll be honest. After getting my son calmed down, I spent the next several hours mentally composing a scathing “Letter to the Editor” addressing “the bonehead who verbally accosted my children on the path behind Chamisa on 10/14.” I had thought through various other titles to give this miscreant, my first inclination being to call him an “idiot”; but then I thought that might be too strong. I then considered calling him a “lunkhead”, but decided I would use that moniker later in the letter. I finally decided on “bonehead”, feeling it fit exactly how I felt about the person who had caused my son so much emotional anguish. As I mentally put the letter together, I made sure he understood exactly how his words and actions made my children feel; how he scared them as much as, or even more than, the dog fight. I reminded him that he was the adult in the situation, and that while my children had done as he wished and told me what had happened, it did not receive the response he expected. Somewhere in there, I called him a “jerk”, and finished by saying something like, “You, sir, are no gentleman; you are a bully of the highest degree, whose insensitivity and harshness show your demeanor to be much like that of your dog.” I wrote and re-wrote that letter in my head all of Sunday afternoon and evening, feeling completely justified in doing so because of the brutish way he belittled my children. Then came Monday.

On Monday morning, I sat down to continue our study of Matthew 5. As most of you know, the first verses in the lesson were those found at the top of this page. The words “good-for-nothing” are one translation of the word “Raca”. Do you know what another English translation of that word is? Bonehead! Here’s what a couple of commentators had to say: “[This was] a term of abuse that attacked a person’s intelligence. Some proposed English translations include ‘nitwit’, ‘blockhead’, ‘stupid’, ‘moron’, numbskull’, and ‘bonehead’. The word translated ‘fool’ is likely from an Aramaic word meaning ‘empty’. It was used as a derogatory term similar to ‘dummy’. The word for ‘fool’ is commonly translated ‘moron’, showing the terms…had similar meanings. The first refers to an empty mind, the second to a slow mind…. Both were strong terms of contempt used among the Jews in Jesus’ time.” And here I thought I’d been somewhat kind! In my mental letter to this guy, I had used nearly all these terms and ideas. After all, only someone who was a complete idiot (stupid, a dummy, empty-headed) could have behaved in such a fashion, I reasoned. But these verses, and their meanings, caught me up short.

In the beginning of Matthew 5, Jesus describes the qualities that are to characterize citizens of His Kingdom in what are often called The Beatitudes. In verses 21-22, He gives a non-example of how those qualities are to be lived out. As one who claims to be a Kingdom citizen, when I look at this man, my response should be shaped by those qualities: I should be full of humility: I am no better than he (poor in spirit); his attitude should break my heart because of what he seems to lack: a relationship with Jesus that would temper his words and actions (mourning for him); my words and thoughts toward him should be full of compassion and grace (gentle, merciful, peacemaking); and my desire should be not for him to feel the pain of my vengeful anger, but the love of my Almighty God (hunger and thirst for righteousness). Rather than demeaning this man and characterizing him based on my feelings, if I can respond in a way that honors God eternally, rather than one that satisfies me momentarily, my heart will remain pure, His Will will be done, and I will be blessed of my Father. This experience has reminded me that I truly am no better than this guy…according to these verses, I mentally murdered him (I was really proud of that closing sentence to my mental letter!). By His grace, I will learn to respond to these kinds of people and circumstances in a way that will cause my Father to say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant”, rather than letting my attitude go to the dogs.

Seeking His good Will and pleasure,
Sherri

What D'Ya Know?

“Yet you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this…” Daniel 5:22

“What d’ya know?” It’s a phrase I (and others) often use in greeting instead of “How’s it going?” or “How are ya’ doin’?” The typical response is usually something like, “The sky is blue”, or “2+2=4”, or even “As little as possible”! I never ask that question expecting an answer that actually reflects all the questioned individual knows!

But have you ever noticed how often life subtly asks us that question and expects not a rote repetition of rules, regulations, and routines, but a response that acts upon our knowledge? For example, when the alarm goes off in the morning, the expectation is that we not only know how to turn off the alarm, but what to do after we turn it off. When we get into our vehicles, it is anticipated that we not only know how to turn them on, but all the necessary rules and how to follow them as we drive. Throughout our day, we run up against situations where we are expected not just to know the rudimentary basics, but how to apply those basics to reach a reasonable conclusion. The knowledge is important, but the application is what makes it useful. This was a lesson that apparently eluded King Belshazzar.

Daniel makes it clear in Daniel 5 that Belshazzar was well acquainted with all that had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. Given the fact that there were only 6 years between Nebuchadnezzar’s death and the time Belshazzar took the throne, many scholars believe Belshazzar had more than a passing knowledge of Nebuchadnezzar’s “final exam”. Many believe he was part of the nobility who witnessed Nebuchadnezzar’s most humbling experience, his return to sanity, and his praise and recognition of the One True God. The problem is, Belshazzar never took it beyond knowledge to application. For him, what happened to Nebuchadnezzar was simply a contemporary history lesson, nothing that he needed to apply to himself. And so, he never did; and it cost him his life.

The warning in the story of Belshazzar seems clear. The real question is not, “What d’ya know?”, but “What are you doing with what you know?” If I know how to turn off the alarm clock, but then roll over and go back to sleep, what is the real point of the alarm? If I know all the laws and rules for driving and ignore them, or figure they don’t apply to me, eventually I’m bound to learn otherwise, thanks to the dedication and persistence of the men and women in blue! In the same way, if the whole point of Bible study for me is simply to gain more knowledge, I become nothing more than a walking lexicon. I am no better than Belshazzar because the lessons are never applied…my spiritual eyes are never opened…my heart is never humbled. It is only through actively seeking to understand what God is trying to teach me through His Word that I learn to apply it…that I begin to not only know the Word, but to know THE Word.

Seeking to know Him and all His ways,

Sherri