Dave Dishman

As children we hone a skill of appearing sad in order to get something we want. The ploy still works as an adult, as I finagle that last piece of blackberry cobbler from my wife by feigning distress. She sees through my ruse and is kind enough to pass the dessert anyway. I could have come clean from the start.

The Lord pushed back on the source of Ephraim’s tears: They do not cry to me from the heart, but they wail upon their beds; for grain and wine they gash themselves; they rebel against me.

God punished Israel for deserting him and embracing foreign gods. As things got worse (drought, famine, impending invasion), the people cried out. But even though they shrieked and sobbed and cut themselves, they never turned their hearts back to God. They hoped fake tears would lead to full stomachs.

The prophet Amos wrote that they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind. These people hoped for blessings without obedience. They wanted to live life on their own terms and enjoy the the good hand of the Lord. They expected God’s favor regardless of their actions. They cried, didn’t God create us to live our best lives?

Actually, God created us to follow him. Our best lives result from this practice. Crocodile tears fall flat before the one who knows our most private thoughts. One cannot manipulate the Lord. It’s better to come clean from the start.

Hosea 7:14; 8:7

Photo by Bro Takes Photos

I had a unique math teacher in high school who liked to quote Scripture. He would place us in pairs to work on difficult problems in our pre-calculus class. If the team got the problem wrong he often remarked, if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

Yesterday I finished listening to a book about the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1975. No one is certain why the boat sank, but one theory holds that due to faulty maps and busted radar the ship ran over a shallow shoal as a massive storm pushed it slightly off course. The damaged hull allowed water to slowly enter and drag it to the bottom. The blind (bad maps and radar) leading the blind (a captain in the middle of raging seas with blizzard conditions in the black of night) led to disaster.

I find myself tempted to follow blind guides. When I swear allegiance to a political party and never question any policies or positions, then I’m guilty. Or when I disagree with someone’s idea simply because I do not like that person rather than evaluate their argument, I’ve made a blind decision. I choose the blind way when I make life choices outside the bounds of Scripture.

Jesus spoke these words in reference to the teachings of certain Pharisees over hand-washing. These men focused on presenting as pious rather than turning their hearts toward the Lord. When I decide that my image trumps my obedience to loving my neighbor, then I’ve taken a turn toward blindness.

If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit. Blind guides exist everywhere in our modern world, making this one of the most applicable warnings Jesus ever uttered. What’s the solution? The Holy Scriptures and the Holy Spirit bring sight to the blind. Take the cure and avoid tumbling into the pit.

Matthew 15:14

Photo by David Underland

We enjoyed a visit from our grandchildren this summer (along with their parents). Ages 3 and 1, the kids bring energy and excitement and drama wherever they go. Their parents work at teaching them the difference between bad behavior (screaming for what they want), and good behavior (saying please and thank you). Training up children in the way they should go is a challenging job, especially with a Grandpa who is happy to give in when they scream.

Children are not born a blank slate. Despite popular opinion, we’re not pure at first only to be corrupted later by the world. Rather, each of us arrives bent, and good parents spend a great deal of energy twisting us back in the right direction.

King David observed this reality: God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

I’ve never known of a child who never needed correction. I suppose Jesus was the only one, and Jesus learned from good parents. We all need the guiding hands of wise people around us, even as adults (or especially as adults).

Let’s pray for parents who are in the midst of developing their children into good people. It’s wise for you and me to realize that we need such development as well. Let’s also ask the Holy Spirit to mold us into better people, ones who love the Lord and care for our neighbors. Because we all know, it don’t come natural.

Psalm 53:2-3

Photo by Suzi Kim

For years our little Jack Russel terrier—Lucky—kept our kitchen floor spotless. She cleared every morsel that fell within seconds. After she passed on, I started stepping on crumbs with my bare feet and realized I might actually have to sweep the floor. I missed our canine vacuum cleaner.

Jesus spoke with a Canaanite woman about crumbs. The woman desperately begged Jesus to help her daughter. Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. Jesus answered that he was sent first to the lost of Israel, not yet to the Gentiles. She refused to leave. He pointed out, It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. She responded immediately, Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table. To which Jesus replied, O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you desire. And her daughter was healed instantly.

Such an odd interaction between Jesus and this woman. Did Jesus refer to the woman and her daughter as dogs? The woman took no offense. Rather, she approached Jesus knowing he was the only person in the world who could meet her need. Who cares what comments came her way—her daughter lay in distress. She recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the chosen one, God in the flesh. Jesus identified this faith within her, and healed her little girl.

A morsel from the Master’s table enlivened this woman, healed her daughter, and influenced everyone around them. A word from Jesus and all was well. No sweat for the Lord of the universe.

Perhaps all the good things in life—the relationships we enjoy, children laughing, sunsets, great meals, and cool breezes on a hot summer day are merely crumbs from God’s table? A banquet awaits. I cannot imagine the sumptuousness of the feast, but if the crumbs are any indication, it will be magnificent.

Matthew 15:21-28

Photo by Erica