Monday meandering, eh?
Churning just south of us, TD2 expects to be christened TS Bertha before the morning changes to afternoon. So far, no effect on us except silver gray overcast, but there's a huge lump of orange just east of us, circling counterclockwise, that ought to make Monday more interesting than usual.
National Hurricane Center, though, has it moving westward this week, looks like across New Orleans and then on to Texas.
++++++++++
Monday's food intake will run the pounds back up a bit, but first step onto the electronic scale in my bathroom has me at my weight goal for my annual weigh-in for my doctor's appointment two weeks from tomorrow. "All" I have to do now is maintain the balance. Today's breakfast - - TJ's liver pate on triscuits and a second magic mug of hot & black - - the sheer deliciousness of it, or even just remembering it, may bounce the scale back up five or ten pounds. Which if this were Monopoly would be a Go To Jail card, Go To Jail, Go Directly To Jail. Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200, the effect of the
salt intake is that touchy, nomesane?
+++++++++
At any event - - it's unfortunately my usual inclination to comment on things that need no further comment. Bible readings from yesterday are an example - - we've heard it read aloud in the congregation, now let it go - - but for some reason my mind is impelled to add something.
First the psalm that responded to the Genesis story of Jacob's Ladder:
Psalm 139 Domine, probasti
O LORD, thou hast searched me out, and known me. * Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising; thou understandest my thoughts long before.
Thou art about my path, and about my bed, * and art acquainted with all my ways.
For lo, there is not a word in my tongue, * but thou, O LORD, knowest it altogether.
Thou hast beset me behind and before, * and laid thine hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me; * I cannot attain unto it.
Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit? * or whither shall I go then from thy presence?
If I climb up into heaven, thou art there; * if I go down to hell, thou art there also.
If I take the wings of the morning, * and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea; even there also shall thy hand lead me, * and thy right hand shall hold me.
If I say, Peradventure the darkness shall cover me, * then shall my night be turned to day.
Yea, the darkness is no darkness with thee, but the night is as clear as day; * the darkness and light to thee are both alike. ...
Search me out, O God, and know my heart; * try me and know my restless thoughts.
Look well whether there be any wickedness in me * and lead me in the way that is everlasting.
+++
The psalm suits the Genesis reading because there is Jacob in the wilderness fleeing Esau, thinking he is safely alone for the night, and Adonai (O LORD) comes present for him, Adonai the Lord who is present no matter where we find ourselves. "Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place." This is one of my favorite psalms, which I included in every burial at sea, or sprinkling of ashes on the waters for the verse, "If I take the wings of the morning, and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me."
+++
My other thing is to comment further, and perhaps more competently and relevantly, even though totally unnecessarily and uncalled-for, on the gospel reading for yesterday:
Matthew 13:24-30,36-43
24-30 Jesus put before the crowd another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to someone who sowed good seed in his field; but while everybody was asleep, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and then went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared as well. And the slaves of the householder came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from?’ He answered, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The slaves said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he replied, ‘No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. Let both of them grow together until the harvest; and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”
36-43 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples approached him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world, and the good seed are the children of the kingdom; the weeds are the children of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen!”
++
13:24-30. The parable of the sabotage of the weeds is told both here in Matthew 13 and also in the Gospel of Thomas 57:1-4. Gathering evil to burn is not part of Jesus' gospel (the kingdom of God/heaven is here), so may be the view of the later Early Church as it fights against an evil, inimical world.
13:36-43. Couple of problems in my mind, take it or leave it!
First, explaining a parable is not Jesus' style; rather, he tells a parable and leaves it hanging there for his audience to either get it or scratch their heads in oblivious ignorance: we can view this section as not being from the lips of Jesus.
Second, Jesus told parables, not allegories; so Matthew or some later editor, but not Jesus, converted the weeds parable to an allegory; so, again, making it into a punishing furnace of eternal fire for the evil doers is not part of Jesus' message: it's from the thoughts, words, and pen of Matthew (c.a. 85 AD) or others fighting the enemies they are confronting in the Early Church.
As I say, take it or leave it.
++++++++++
Praise to you, Lord Christ.
T90
.