respect – Be Still…

Luke 20:1-19 – Jesus Teaches Us

Read Luke 20:1-19

Jesus final days were spent teaching in the Temple. There were so many lessons left to share; Jesus had to be wondering how he could fit them all in. These teachable moments were often interrupted by confrontation.

Today we see how the religious leaders were trying to trip up Jesus and interrupt the flow of his teaching. Because they were so offended by his popularity, they had to know who had given Jesus the authority to speak and preach as he had been. What other motives may they have had? We see how brilliantly Jesus turns the inquisition around so the leaders are left speechless. But they didn’t walk away. They stayed and listened.

Colossians 3:18-4:1 – A Faithful Household

Read Colossians 3:18-4:1

When we’re spending time with God, we’re generally focusing only on our own relationship with God. Here we’re given counsel on best practices for us in interacting with other relationships with have in our lives. Our households. The world would be a lot friendlier place if we took better care of our loved ones in these simple ways.

For fear of sounding a bit “old-fashioned,” I fondly remember the days when family dinner time was sacred time. Whether it was a fancy meal or just something quick, spending time with each other is what was important. We connected. We shared lives together. It was so much easier to be mutually submissive, loving, encouraging, etc.

2 Samuel 19:31-40 – Respect Your Elders

Read 2 Samuel 19:31-40

Can you imagine having seen both covered wagons coming across the prairie AND a man on the moon! Talk about a lifetime of experiencing new and sometimes “new-fangled” things. When we respect our elders, we are not only giving honor to the person but to the experiences they lived through. We can see history through their eyes.

For King David, he was especially fond of the elderly man in our story today. Barzillai of Gilead was not only coming now to pay homage and respect to the king, but he had contributed generously to David’s cause when in conflict with Absalom. Such charity is always remembered warmly. David was ready to “adopt” Barzillai and bring him back to Jerusalem to care for him. That was truly an honor to be chosen by the king.

Titus 2:1-15 – Live Like This

Read Titus 2:1-15

If you ever wanted to know what God expects from us in terms of how to live, Paul reveals a bit of that to Titus in this reading. Guys and gals, old and young, even slaves have some good stuff to take away. I was just a little stunned when I realized that slaves got extra. After all, they are also going to fit into one of the gender categories as well, right? Being we don’t have “slaves” commonly today is probably what caught my attention, too.

Paul is covering all the bases to protect all people. There’s some good stuff here. Now that I’m seeing myself in the “older women” category, I’m especially touched by the notion of showing my younger counterparts how to love and honor their husbands and families. It’s basically a nice way of saying, “set a good example, one others can learn from and model.”

Song of Solomon 6:4-13 – Reunited

Read Song of Solomon 6:4-13

Solomon was such a gentleman. Whether or not he felt any attack on his pride or had disappointment from his rejection a couple readings ago, you’d never know it. He is so delighted to be back in Shulamith’s presence. He is tender and adoring, just like on their wedding night.

You may also notice he is using very similar images to tell her of her beauty. We’ve heard these before. To me, that sends the message that he loves her like the first day, despite any “problem” they have had. Did you notice what he didn’t say? He didn’t use the more sensual language. Why? In gentlemanly fashion, he didn’t want her to think the only reason he was being nice was to get in her good graces so he could jump back in the sack with her. To put it bluntly! Too many times, the male motivation comes through in their words and body language. Solomon gives a good example of NOT doing that. It will be much more effective in the reconciliation process.