Mtr Margaret Babcock

Dear Friends,

I once had the task of teaching small children the Bible.  We would act out stories like the parable of the Good Shepherd with little figures and then take time to wonder: I wonder why the sheep wandered away. I wonder why the shepherd looked so hard for it. And my favorite—I wonder what the names of those sheep were.

The children and I didn’t study the reading that we are given in the Gospel today (Luke 14:1-11), but I find myself with similar “wondering” questions.

Jesus had been invited to a powerful man’s house for the Sabbath meal. Jewish people weren’t supposed to do any work on that day, but when Jesus showed up, he was confronted by human suffering in the form of a man who was ill. He asked whether it was forbidden to cure him. The host and other guests stayed silent. Jesus healed the man, and then asked if none of them had ever done an act of mercy on the Sabbath. Again, no one would answer him.

I wonder: If I were ill, would someone break the rules to help me? Would I have the courage to do it? What were these people thinking? Why didn’t they share? Truthfully, when I am confronted by a question which will expose a part of me that I expect others will judge harshly, I have sometimes hidden in silence. I wonder, is that what happened to at least some in this crowd?

If so, Jesus’ follow-up story makes sense. He told them not to focus on outward shows of honor. “For all who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” In more modern prose, “Be content to be simply yourself and you will become more than yourself.” (The Message, Peterson)

I wonder what Jesus means by that. He could have said, be sure you don’t lie. Instead, he says, be unafraid to be yourself. I wonder how one does that. I suspect that letting go of the desire to always be right is part of the process. Perhaps trusting that God knows and loves us even in our incomplete and unevolved state, is another big part. I wonder, what would happen if I committed to being unapologetically myself, a limited but precious child of God, today?

May your wonderings bring you closer to the Truth of Christ.

Blessings,

—Mtr Margaret