Wednesday, January 25, 2017

"he lived at Monticello and..."



















The TV show Jeopardy has been around for years, and been a daily staple of education for America.  Things trivial and also formally taught, it is amazing all the facts and figures that are out there.  Once only available from Jeopardy via the encyclopedia, who reads those things anyway, we now have the internet to how our trivial fixation fulfilled.  But Jeopardy is as much a game of knowledge as it is of skill, speed must accompany the correct answer.  Too slow, you lose, too fast, you lose also.  But one time in Mr. Koch’s history class, my Jeopardy recall made me a hero in our knowledge bowl.  Always trying to outfox us ninth graders, his final question of the contest was “who was Schuyler Colfax?”  And I knew!  And I had learned it on Jeopardy!  It seems no one else on the panel that day did either, but I remembered Art Fleming revealing the answer, “he was Andrew Johnson’s vice president.”  A fact I never forgot.  And for that moment in time I was the genius, until I revealed my source.  Quit while you are ahead.
But too often contestants ring in too soon, not reading the whole answer.  For example, “ he lived at Monticello and...” someone rings in.  “Thomas Jefferson.”  Wrong.  The next guy reads the whole question, “he lived at Monticello and was Jefferson’s favorite horse.”  And gives the right answer, wins the game.  Patience in Jeopardy too can be a virtue.  And no, I have no idea who the horse was.  I was the guy who rang in too early.  Or the horse Schuyler Colfax rode either.  And the horse you rode in on....
I ask pastors “what is the most important quality of a pastor?”  The answers range from “knowing the word,” to “being a good speaker,” and all in between.  Not one has ever given the right answer, “a good listener.”  A fact I learned from Jeopardy.  Yet so many point me directly to a scripture before hearing the question, and then have to back track.  A position that should have wisdom, sometimes only falls short by having knowledge.  How can you answer a question if you don’t listen and hear the entire question?  Yet in this world of sound bites, we have become just that.  Call it selective hearing, I call it lousy ministering.  You decide.
But we are given situations every day to listen and respond, and when we respond outside of the holy spirit, we fall short.  I know of a group who gives out apples to the poor, who cannot eat them because of no teeth.  Or those who give out microwave meals to the homeless.  Duh?  And while the church says “well done,” it wasn’t.  Did they ever think of the homeless, or just of themselves?  We feel good doing the various walks to cure this and that, toy runs to give toys to the poor, but how about daily living?  Do we listen to what the spirit is saying, or just what we want to hear?  Do we hear Jesus’ complete words, or cut him off mid-sentence?  He would have listened, do you?
So when some well meaning person goes with us to minister for the first time, they ask what should I do?  My answer may seem harsh, but direct, “shut up and listen.”  How do you know how to answer if you haven’t?  And one night, when this well meaning, but “I came to preach the word” girl came with us, she found out why.  An old lady, who could barely walk, was coming up the stairs, I met her and helped her.  I asked her name, told her mine, and was listening, when Ms. Preacher interrupted, “do you know Jesus?  You’re a sinner, he can save you.”  And this frail old homeless woman proved my point.  While the girl started to quote scripture, this woman countered her with it.  Totally putting her in her place, lovingly, but reminding her, “I may be homeless, but I know Jesus.  And you are doing a lousy job of evangelizing.”  You see,she had to go to the bathroom, that was her need for the moment.  Seems even Christians can’t hold it forever....I was meeting a need, ministering to her, treating her with respect, the girl was never invited back.  Her church training had let her down.  I wonder how she would do on Jeopardy?
Maybe a quick reminder of Mary annointing the feet of Jesus is in order here.  Good enough to be in the Bible, good enough to make us stop and listen.  And repeat.  There are times to meet physical needs, time for meeting spiritual needs.  Mary had insight as to his death, and was annointing him with oil, a celebration of what was to come.  She didn’t know if she would have the chance later, so did it now.  Spending a year’s wages on the feet of our Lord.  While Martha complained.  Mary listened to the spirit and responded, Martha only saw a meal and the effort to prepare it.  Both saw Jesus, and had a chance to worship him, only one responded giving him the glory.  One answered the cry of her heart, the other rang in too soon.  And when Martha interfered, Jesus told her “leave her alone.  She has done a beautiful thing to me.” 
That night on the stairs, I was celebrating Jesus by showing this woman love, meeting her need, walking her up the stairs.  I heard what the spirit said. Think a minute, how long can you hold it?  How long had she been holding it?  How long had Mary been looking for a chance to worship Jesus, and when she saw the opportunity, took it.  Regardless of cost, or what her sister would say.  Do we celebrate Jesus by completing his words, “whoever gives to the least of them, does it unto me.”  How would Jesus have greeted the woman on the stairs, how would you?  Do you ring in too soon with knowledge, and miss the whole statement?  Are you missing a chance to relate to Jesus and worship him?  Jesus told us “he who has an ear let him hear,” he didn’t say “he who has a mouth let him speak.”  Funny how you can control your mouth, but not your ears.  Mary’s worship of Jesus is recorded and retaught every day.  Do we take the message of Jesus in love and worship to others, or are we to busy cooking to forget who we are serving?  Two women, only one had the sensitivity of heart.  How would you have greeted the woman on the steps, what if she was you?  How would you like to be treated?
The things we do are timely, and feasible.  Some needs greater, some lesser, but needs none the less. Listen to what the spirit says, and then obey.  Trust what Jesus wants you to do, and never mess an opportunity to worship him in your actions.  Mary saw the poor would always be around, she seized the chance to worship Jesus.  We see it the opposite, we see Jesus in church, and fail to see poor all around.  Don’t ring in too soon, you may have the right answer, but the wrong question.  The man who thinks he knows all the answers hasn’t heard all the questions.  And by the way, Jefferson’s horse was named Caractus....who one time threw him and broke TJ’s arm...but that’s another story.
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com