Tuesday, October 2

Today’s Readings: Psalm 75 & 82; Joel 1:15-2:11; Luke 14:1-11; Romans 2:17-24

Last weekend, I was sitting having coffee with a friend who was reading the Tao Te Ching. As we talked, my friend shared a few examples of the simple yet profound pearls of wisdom that were contained within the text. I walked away from the conversation wanting to hear more as I hadn’t read the text of the Tao Te Ching since my seminary days. And then this morning I ran into another piece of sayings that reminded me I regularly have access to another source of wisdom whose truths are every bit as simple yet profound: Jesus’ words in the Gospel texts. Some folks often get thrown by Jesus’ words of wisdom because they often come embedded within larger stories or parables. Consequently, it’s easy to miss the striking depth of those words if you aren’t paying attention. This morning’s passage from the 14th chapter of Luke is a great example of that. The majority of the passage sets up the dilemma of where one should take a seat at a wedding banquet: in a place of honor, or in the last place. At the conclusion of the situation, Eugene Peterson’s The Message translates Jesus’ teaching as follows: “But if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself” (Luke 14:11). What wonderful words of encouragement that remind us that one of the keys to a good life is to know both who you are (“be simply yourself”) and who God is (the One through whom “you will become more than yourself”). Those words can certainly help us decide how to face any dilemma – whether a seating chart is involved or not! Today, may we embrace the profound yet simple truth of which Jesus spoke and continue on our journey toward a sense of perspective and wholeness in our spiritual lives. Til next time…