Joel 1-2
Psalm 105
Matthew 7
The Sermon on the Mount is one of those long passages of scripture that everyone quotes. It's chock full of wise sayings and advice that remind me of all of the quips of wisdom that my grandmothers like to throw out there.
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
"Judge not lest ye be judged."
"Do not cast your pearls before swine."
"If frogs had wings they wouldn't bump their butts."
Ok, that last one may have been Granny and not Jesus. I consider both of them very wise people, though. My family is rather colorful. Particularly my Granny. She's not afraid to say just what's on her mind, and she'll let you know right away if she doesn't agree with you. Granny told me once that she's going to say what she thinks, and sometimes it gets her in trouble. I'm a lot like my Granny.
That open honest expression of what one feels makes me really think about what Jesus says in this passage about passing judgement. It's easy to look at the loudmouth jerk in the coffee shop and wish he'd shut up. It's easy to see the lady with tangles in her hair and think she must not have any sense of pride and that she should comb her hair. My Granny doesn't do those things, though. Yes, she's opinionated and yes she's blunt as a spoon, but Granny is a deeply caring woman who trusts in God. I have heard her say that someone's actions are stupid--and those actions almost always have a negative effect on someone else. You see, I think the thing that drives Granny up the wall is when she sees people being inconsiderate or hurting someone else. She is a deeply caring woman who believes, perhaps naively, that people should just love each other. That's what Jesus taught us. Love each other. Even when that other person is a grade-A, number one jerk. Just love them. I strive to be like Granny. I strive to be like Jesus.
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