July 15, 2022 — Words of Wisdom, Champfleury (French Author and Art Critic)

“A kitten is the delight of a household. All day long a comedy is played out by an incomparable actor.” –Champfleury

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:13-15

Acting the Part

Those who go into acting study their craft for many years before they may find true success. They may take parts in local plays, college performances and even off, off, off Broadway plays using each opportunity to hone their craft.

The other day I was reading the obituary of a man whom his children ended the “tribute” with words similar to the fact that he did no more than act the part of a father: “…he was a father to many but a dad to none”. There are many roles in which we play in life where we just cannot “act” the part. Jesus accused the scribes and the Pharisees of just the same saying, in part, that they denounce others of behaviors in which they also participate. In other words, they were truly hypocrites. As I am writing this devotion Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson is suffering from his actions that proved not only that he lied about his actions during the pandemic, but that he truly played the part of the hypocrite – telling others to do one thing while he refused to do the same.

Jesus is looking for each person to make a reckoning of their behavior and to make honest repentance for their actions. For even in the word “repentance” there is the demand and the expectation that our actions reverse course. If they do not, then we play the hypocrite. As we have heard over and over again, if we are going to talk the talk of our faith then we need to walk the walk of that faith as well.

Let us pray,

Lord Christ, it is always hard to stick with change – to follow the course of true repentance. Give me the strength today not only to talk the talk of my faith, but to walk that walk as well. Amen.

Pastor Dave

July 14, 2022 — Words of Wisdom, Hippolyte Taine (French Philosopher)

“I have studied many philosophers and many cats. The wisdom of cats is infinitely superior.” – Hippolyte Taine

“For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe. For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.” 1 Corinthians 1:18-25

The Wisdom of the Wise

The French philosopher Hippolyte Taine states, perhaps tongue in cheek, that his cats are the wisest of his contemporaries. My cats come from a less advanced breed of cat, yet their wisdom is often unmatched in understanding my own needs.

Who is the wisest person you can think of in your life? Who has given you the best advice or proven to be right more often than wrong? Some of the wisest people I know spend less time speaking and more time listening. Perhaps that is why Hippolyte considers his cats to be so wise – they have no opportunity to prove otherwise by opening their mouths.

Paul states that G-d’s foolishness is wiser than the wisest of the human mind – that G-d made “foolish” the wisdom of the world. When we read scripture and compare the teachings of the bible to the world in which we live, we soon see how wise are the words of G-d. Story after story and situation after situation remind us that while people may come and go in our lives, the problems and struggles we encounter remain the same. Joseph of Egypt may have died 3500+ years ago but we know what it is like to either be the “favored” or “least favored” child in the family. Paul may have lived 2000 years ago, but we understand how a dramatic experience can take us down a road we may have never considered.

While this world’s wisdom will always prove to be limited, the limitlessness of G-d’s words and wisdom will continue to astound us again and again.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, you not only have the words of eternal life, but you also have the words that continue to lead and guide us. I ask you to continue to give me the words and the advice I need for whatever comes to me today. Amen.

Pastor Dave