Seeds For Thinking

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

* Failure
* Scripture: But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached (Jesus) and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." (Luke 10:40, NKJV)

One would think that holiday seasons would be the happiest times of the year. Not so, many researchers suggest. Rather than times of relaxation and rejoicing, remembrance and celebration, holidays are periods of intense stress for many people. Why so?
For one thing, there are many Marthas in this world, "soul kindred," distracted with much serving. This is one of those 'tight rope' areas, I know. We walk a very narrow line, here, between duty and dereliction. Balance is a key word. Should Mary have helped Martha? Probably. Would Jesus have severely criticized Martha if something wasn't perfect, like if the towels didn't match, or if the table cloth had a spot on it? Probably not. It's all about friendship, not fatigue!
Martha doesn't seem to share in the joy of this occasion. She appears to be rather stressed out, fearing failure as a good hostess. Was Jesus perhaps there to be pampered, or to critique Martha's hospitality for a five-star rating? I doubt it. Perhaps He was instead thinking, "Hey, I came for a visit, let's enjoy it."
Failure is "laboring for the wind," claims the 'Preacher" of Ecclesiastes, to eat in darkness, with much sorrow and sickness and anger. (Ecc. 5:16-17)
There is likely little that you can do to make an old grouch satisfied. The grouch is longing, expecting to eat in darkness, with much sorrow and sickness and anger, and will go to extremes to obtain his goal. Like a pig, if you wallow in their mud, you will both end up 'dirty.' So move on down the street; let the pig - er, grouch, wallow in bitterness and self-pity.
Life is too short to wallow in bad things when there are so many good things to celebrate.
Many people have the "movie set syndrome." On-screen, the camera shows perfection, the perfect house, the ideal standard to strive for. It is instead just a front, a sham, a wall with nothing but props behind it to hold it up. You wouldn't, you shouldn't want to live there. Do you have four walls - and a roof? Be glad!
I recall the quotation:

"A man's reach must exceed his grasp,
else what's a heaven for."

It is one thing to be inspired, to strive, yet,

"Ideals are stars to guide us,
not clubs with which to beat ourselves."

Striving, reaching is not by itself our downfall, but to be consumed by striving for the truly impossible without rejoicing in the possible - that is failure.
We are, perhaps, at times like the mice that I sometimes find in my barn. They have acquired the food supply of their wildest dreams - at the bottom of the grain barrel, from which there is no escape.
Failure is like climbing a mountain, only to be stopped by an impassable obstacle, then, to gaze dismally at the peak, out of reach, rather than turning and rejoicing in the view from the height that you have attained.
Failure is to worry, worry, worry about your next breath, when you should be rejoicing about the breaths that you have already taken.
True failure is to wallow in despair over what has not been done, instead of rejoicing over what has been accomplished.
Failure is anger at what has been lost, rather than joy at what has been found.
Failure is like standing at the door, frustrated, with a dead battery in your radio car keyset, when all you need to do is to insert the key in the lock, the old fashioned way.
Rejoice! It shall be opened.
Do not be distracted by much serving and striving for the winds of the world.
Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.
December 31, 2006

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: Jesus said, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” Mark 7:29, NIV
He said, “Will you give me a drink?”
She said, “How can you ask me for a drink?” And Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” (John 4:7b-10 excerpted)
Jesus’ discussion with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s Well in Sychar is unique in several regards. First, Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other. Jews would not even travel through Samaria, if they could avoid it. Further, Jesus declared to her that He was the promised Messiah, a fact that many people wished to hear from him, but did not, or would not accept the evidence. (See John 7:25-52 )
The woman becomes an evangelist, telling the people in Sychar about Jesus. At their request, Jesus stayed with them two days. And because of His words, they profess, “Now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the savior of the world.” (John 4:42b)
Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ is often noted in sermon and lesson, (Mark 8:27-30) but consider the testimony of Martha, sister of Lazarus, who tells Jesus that she believes that he is the Christ, “The Son of God who was to come into the world.” (John 11:27)
Women were treated with compasion by Jesus, without regard to their nationality or social status. A non-Jewish woman, a Greek born in Syrian Phoenicia, phrases her request for healing for her daughter such that Jesus does not withhold His healing power. (Mark 7:24-30.)
Jesus commends the widow’s offering in the temple. (Luke 21:1-4) and uses a persistent widow to illustrate the need to pray and not give up. (Luke 18:1-8.)
Jesus healed the crippled woman on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-13) and a woman in a crowd (Luke 8:40-48.) He raised not only Lazarus for the grief-stricken Mary and Martha, but also the widow’s son at Nain (Luke 7:11-15.)
Jesus forgave the sins of the woman taken in adultry John 8:1-11, and the woman who annointed him (Luke 7:36-50.)
Even in the final moments of His life, Jesus showed concern for the women standing near the cross. He made provision for the future care of his mother, Mary. (John 19:25-27.)
All four gospels record that it was the women who first discover the empty tomb, The Resurrection, that first Easter Morning.
Yes, I am planting seeds which I hope will grow into greater knowledge of the role of women in the Bible. All you have to do is dig a little more into the scriptures. This is just a ‘starter’ collection, taken from the New Testament. Don’t neglect the many references in the Old Testament as well.
March 30, 2003

Link: http://seedsforthinking.oldgleaner.com/

Scripture: John 11: 35,
“Jesus wept.”
More than just words!
Writing is a “Johnny-come-lately” in the realm of human communication. A baby can make a good many intentions known without writing, or even speaking words. Any parent who has raised a teenager knows the words, “OK, I’m going” can have several meanings beyond what I have just applied to paper. You have no clue to whether the above-mentioned person said those words in a cheerful way, grudgingly, or full-bore angry. Not unless I add a description of attitude, tone of voice, or other actions.
One interesting activity for a speech class is to have several students take turns saying the words, “I’m going to school.” You can make it sound cheerful, sad, condescending, determined, etc. Try it; or say “I’m going to Church.” How many different feelings can you put into it?
If you use the internet for communications, you often see little hints as to feeling; the most popular are called ‘mood smilies.’ Such as - or or ( . . . You also see (grin) for something said in humor. It helps to know the mood of the writer. Was the person serious, or was it said tongue-in-cheek?
Yes, written communication fails to capture the full expression of spoken language. Take time to read the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus, in John, chapter 11. Compare Martha’s first words to Jesus in verse 21 with Mary’s in verse 32. Both said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Do you get any clues as to the way the sisters may have differed in expressing the (same) words? How did Martha walk as she went out? The Bible tells us Mary “went quickly” to where Jesus was. Martha seems like the composed, reserved person who “served” Jesus in Chapter 11:2. Mary went weeping, and fell at Jesus’ feet. Jesus was touched by her tears, and those of the friends and neighbors who followed her. “Jesus wept.”- John 11:35
When we pray, even the ‘Lord’s Prayer’, are we flat, emotionless, like plain words on paper, or do we pray like Mary - words that can release emotions?
January 21, 2001