Sunday, August 13, 2017
10TH SUNDAY
AFTER PENECOST (19th Sun. Ord. Time)
"Take courage, it is I; do
not be afraid."
Job, Chapter 28, Verse 28
And to mortals he said: See: the fear
of the Lord is wisdom; and avoiding evil is understanding.
This chapter contains beautifully
vivid descriptions of that Wisdom which is beyond the attainment of creatures
and known only to God.
Wisdom[1]
The story is seeking
wisdom here is how the conversions continue.
- Eliphaz
won't back down. He tells Job that he definitely messed up somehow to
merit such a crazy punishment.
- According
to this major downer, the rules are the rules; if you're being punished,
you must have done something wrong.
- Job
reflects on what he would do if he were actually allowed to present his
case to God.
- He
makes the call: he would "heed" him but not "contend"
with him. God is, after all, God. Contending may not be the best idea.
- Next
up? A long monologue about the state of violence on earth.
- Yeah,
this one's a downer.
- Bildad
asks Job, "How can a mortal be righteous?"
- Job's
ready with an answer.
- He
declares that of course God is the master of the universe, but it doesn't
matter. He still deserves some explanation.
- God
may be within everyone and everywhere, but he's still as mysterious as
they come.
- And
when it affects people (like Job), those people need some answers.
- Job
refuses to back down from his earlier position. Yeah, it's a little
repetitive, but hey, the guy has gone through a lot.
- The
discussion continues about divine justice and how the evildoers
(nonbelievers) will get what's coming to them by God.
- Where
can seekers find wisdom? Answer? We're still not sure.
- The moral of the story is that
wisdom lives with God. To fear the scope and power of this divine wisdom
is to be truly wise in a human sense. Kind of how a truly wise man knows
that he knows nothing.
10th Sunday after Pentecost[2]
This Sunday focuses on humility
and its source in knowing that all goodness comes from the Spirit.
The Pharisee stood and began to pray. . .'O God. . .I am not like the
rest of men. . .' But the publican. . .kept striking his breast, saying, 'O
God, be merciful to me the sinner'". Pride is the curse of our day! The
Pharisee, self-sufficient, self-righteous, wants the applause of men, while
pretending to honor God. A hypocrite! Yes, he does refrain from some misdeeds
but he but he neglects the essence of religion, love for God and neighbor. And
he measures himself not by the All-Perfect God, but by imperfect men. Humility
is our salvation! The publican confesses his misuse of grace, appeals for
pardon, shows a willingness to atone. For him God will "multiply. .
.mercy". From him He will "accept the sacrifice. . .upon altar".
God is the source of all "gifts," intended to lead us and others back
to Himself, not to "dumb idols".[3]
International Left-Handers Day[4]
International Left-Handers
Day is a day to bring attention to the struggles which lefties face daily in a
right-handed society. August 13th is observed as International
Left-Handers Day.
International Left-Handers Day
Facts
·
10% of people are left-handed according to a
report by Scientific American.
·
Geniuses are more likely to be left-handed - 20%
of the top scoring SAT takers are left-handed.
·
In 2013, 31% of Major League Baseball pitchers
are left-handed.
·
Of the last 5 Presidents, 3 were lefties -
Obama, Clinton and Bush Sr.
·
All lefties: Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Barak
Obama, Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Leonardo da Vinci
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