“But he that knew not,
and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes.
For unto whomsoever much is given,
of him shall be much required:
and to whom men have committed much,
of him they will ask the more.”
-Luke 12:48
Be careful, there is a more familiar verse that sounds a lot like this one. It will trip you up.
Much is committed, required, given, and asked. Sometimes I think I’d like to be beaten with few stripes. But I realize that I often am beaten with few stripes (never with many) due to ignorance. That doesn’t excuse me from the other half of the verse - because I’ve been given so much, and so much has been committed to me.
What in the world does that title mean? Well, many years ago, when some friends of ours were expecting a child, I told Brenda that it would be a girl. When the prediction (or is it revelation, since the determination had already been made, it was just a secret from most) came true, she was amazed. Of course, all wives are amazed at their husbands from time to time - some even amazed in a good way! I digress. At any rate, over the years I have predicted correctly whether a child would support the pink or the blue perhaps about ten times, and not once incorrectly. There have been a number of times when I have not predicted at all, not feeling strongly in either direction.
So why bring it up now? A little girl was born this evening, and we got a call from a proud Aunt Amy. I’m sure she called just to tell us of the blessed event. I had rather forgotten my prediction - but it was accurate. There’s really nothing spooky about it - I just happen be beating the odds. Perhaps I should quit while I’m ahead. I don’t remember who all of the children are. If you want to know, you’ll have to ask Brenda, because while I seem to be able to predict well, I can’t remember nearly as well!
Oh yes, much congratulation to Shaun, and more to Shannon. And a hearty welcome to Esther.
When you go out in the morning to begin the work of the day,
Don’t neglect the little chances you will find along the way;
For in lifting another’s burden, and speaking a word of cheer;
You will find your own cares lighter, and easier for you to bear.
Forget each kindness that you do as soon as you have done it;
Forget the praise that falls to you the moment you have won it.
Forget the slander that you hear before you can repeat it;
Forget each slight, each spite, each sneer wherever you may meet it.
Remember every kindness done to you whate’er its measure;
Remember praise by others won, and pass it on with pleasure;
Remember every promise made, and keep it to the letter,
Remember those who lent you aid, and be a grateful debtor.Author Unknown
Printed in Edward MacHugh, Edward MacHugh’s Treasury of Gospel Hymns and Poems (Chicago: The Rodeheaver, Hall-Mack Company, 1938), 123.
“His lord said unto him,
Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou has been faithful over a few things,
I will make thee ruler over many things:
enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”
-Matthew 25:21
Greek word order is some what poetic like this:
over little you’re faithful,
over much I’ll empower
(forgive the translation - I’m trying to make the poetic point)
Two of them that should not be soon forgotten, both about a quarter of a century ago. I remember them pretty well. My college roommate was just fresh out of the Marines, and had some colleagues killed in Beirut.
And the defeat of the nomination of Robert Bork was another calamitous moment in American history.
“Better is an handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.”
Ecclesiastes 4:6
I don’t understand why a Nancy Pelosi is not saying this or something like it.
Robert and I have, for some time, been reading Two Years Before the Mast, by Henry Dana. Tonight we came upon such a treasure trove of vocabulary words that I’m going to list them here. Grade yourself on how many of them you really know: steeving, keelson, dunnage, chingling, savans, jack-screws, tackles, purchase blocks, ways, falls, tallied on, bowsed, nippered, luff, chock. Those words were in two paragraphs on pages 258-259. How well did you do?
“Apparently Hitchens is not familiar with the finer points of what heaven will be like according to Christians:
1) You will have a new body, with its natural desires returned to the balance that God created meaning that you will have no desire to sin, and can freely engage in every normal activity wholeheartedly without worrying about doing evil.
2) Jesus Himself will be the head of state, which means that the embodiment of God will be ruling mankind. If you accept the premise that God is perfect and holy, this means that you will live under an absolutely perfect system of government.
3) With God totally in charge of worldly affairs once more, there will be no war, no hunger, no strife, no injustice and other such things that eat at even the best of human societies.
I would gladly take a theocracy led by Jesus Christ over the secular governments that exist today. His yoke is far lighter than anything a modern Westerner would be able to comprehend.”
Don’t know who this MikeT is, but I picked this comment out of a thread of mostly atheists denigrating heaven over on Ann Althouse’s blog. This comment sums heaven up pretty well, I think.