Infinite Wisdom and My Two Cents

Experience is the best teacher. Sounds trite inasmuch as seeking knowledge of the answer in a concept that goes against the grain of our heart’s content.

Advice can be both free and worthless and for believers truer said than done because we will not know until we get there. Not those corporate heavenly skies, but the bonafide heavenly skies.

For now. Down here. We work it and try and work it out down here on planet earth where differing opinions and infinite ideas have taken on whole meaning. The bar has been heightened so high, there is no sense in trying to limbo under it anymore.

He is waiting with open arms and an unwavering forgiveness of all our goofs, galfes, and judgments. He challenges us daily in large ways and small ways and sometimes we hit it out of the park and sometimes we trip over ourselves trying to prove we were right.

Two days in and the alarm clock’s snooze button is banged by our tired, limp hand for a third time. A competitor of dry January is the Fitness Novice Buffs who already forgot or may not have understood that commitment does not always show itself in liking something or someone.

Commitment shows up definitively in trusting actions of “I have been in your shoes.” The feeling of assurance that things will get better even in our darkest moments. Faith comes from a belief in what we cannot always see but can touch with our heart. Success does not mean the story will change or a magical wand will make the hurt “go away.”

None of us can take care of or will humanly be able to care of everyone or everything. We punt our best intentions and tell ourselves it doesn’t matter.He doesn’t. She doesn’t. That kind of thinking is dangerous at best. Inhumane at worst.

“You gotta do the doing.” (Gus)

Where to start?

Anywhere and everywhere.

Check personal ambitions at the door before walking head first into the wall of “OUCH” I wish I knew then what I know now. Memories do fade over time.

Silence is golden. The messianic nature of all that is good lies not within the obvious, but in the soul of a person who grieves for another. One who truly believes their loss is our loss.

Priorities.

Wobbly priorities create a hurricane force of negative change. For we, not just the me. Strong priorities are the hurricane itself.

There exists a first. And a last.

Believers follow the path of Him as the first, the last, and all in between. We may hypothesize until the cows come home. We can believe change is possible if we put our agenda to the side.

Who or which is the best?

Who knows.

The Markan Priority. Is the first. The gospel of Mark was the foundation, the first of the synoptic gospel upon which Matthew and Luke based their writings.(wi)

As is most things in life debates went back and forth for many, many years. After all, opinions are like the imperfect persons that utter their words. Whispers have a way of turning into shouts of anger when one is not getting their way, finding their own way.

Call the writings of Mark and then Matthew and then Luke modern day plagiarism? Not exactly.

Traditions hold us to account for our beliefs and our yearnings for what once was. Only John did not account for his perspective in the calming of the storm that included Mark, Matthew and Luke’s account of what they thought to be true.

Synoptic problems exist in the various renditions. Synergies exist only if and when the cohesive unit is, well cohesive. Otherwise the tradition is buried under false pretenses. Controversies arise out of who said what or who did what to whom. Interesting intersectionality’s exist.

Speaking the language meant not only uttering the same words and verbiage. For readers of the old and new testaments readings and writings, it encompassed a consensus Jesus spoke, in Aramaic. A combination of expressive language to fit the sign of the times with the goal to get the word out. In the long term. His word. Out. For the long haul. What ever it takes. There existed language codes and expressive language of the current public life of divine worship and religious study of the highest order of thinking.

The double tradition? Same old same old? There exist similarities in the stories of Mark, Matthew and Luke as well as a John’s knowledge perspectives and contributions. However due to human nature referenced differently depending upon personalities and time recollections. Who has the last word?

Him.

Over and over and over the truth is dissected and spit out. Whereas the Gospel stays consistent in its message and messaging. Mark 16:8, which ends with the resurrection announcement as the original ending, and Mark presents the gospel as “good news.” Mark touches on God’s rule and the motive of the messianic Secret.

Jesus commanded his followers to keep His secret and maintain His Messianic mission. His teaching methods were of inclusion and of wide reaching compassion. For doubters who may respond to violence to the humble who quietly followed His ways.

All encompassing.

His simple everyday life challenges of a woman baking bread, a knock on a neighbor’s door, or the story of the Good Samaritan who reaches out and touches another. Scholars and theologians have tested the theories and offered opinions of clarity.

Experience is the best teacher. Jesus was, is and always will be the best teacher citing irreconcilably tortured language as He alone experienced the torture of His life as doubters threw everything at Him. Everything. Tangible and intangible. He alone continued to live a life and give His life for a future generation of followers He never met in the flesh.

In person. Down here. For a follower it takes a whole lotta trust to perform this selfless act of His simple kindness and regard in a world of building hate and finger pointing.

Commitment comes not only in the easy. It builds strength in the difficult. The focus lies is keeping the eye on the prize.

His kingdom is waiting. Patiently. After all, that was His plan all along.🙂