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What's Your Opinion?
Joe Killian • Oct 19, 2017
When I check out the news feed on my iPhone I always skip over those articles entitled Opinion. I am glad they are labeled that way because I'm not interested in people's opinions of the news. I am just trying to discern what the real news is. Now before you go all political on me I am simply trying to make a point, one that is played out in this week's Gospel:
The Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap Jesus in speech. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?" Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites? Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin. He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." Matthew 22:15-21
After telling Jesus that they know He doesn't care about other's opinions the Pharisees surprisingly ask for His. Of course Jesus sees through to their true intentions to trap Him. Jesus answers their question with a question of His own which in effect turns their trap back on the Pharisees. Jesus' response to His own question and answer by the Pharisees pretty much puts an end to the discussion. The wisdom of Christ far surpasses that of the wise of His day, the Pharisees.
This is true today as it will always be. God's Truth, embodied in His Son, is above all. I believe that is how we as Christians are called to view today's news, not with our opinions but with the Wisdom of God. I am not talking about using Scripture to make our points in the debate. I'm talking about allowing our perspective to be illuminated by the Spirit of Truth so that our opinions are not included at all. We must respond to the news of the day lovingly seeking God's wisdom in every situation.
But that's just my opinion.
The story continues...I'm still working on the pondless waterfall in our front yard. I shared this project with you two weeks ago in Playin' In the Dirt. Since then I've had to rework sections of the stream three different times because we were losing too much water. I am now an expert on evaporation rates and excessive splash, two causes of water loss. This morning I tore the whole thing apart and I'm starting over.
Have you ever watched DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda? I stumbled across it recently and thoroughly enjoyed Jack Black's performance as a bumbling, noodle selling, kung fu enthusiast, giant panda named P o. Set in ancient China, it is more than a humorous slapstick comedy. The core message of the story jumped out at me as I have been focusing recently on the concept of being. Po is shockingly identified as the Dragon Warrior and he reluctantly enters training. The goal of the training is to receive the Dragon Scroll, which is believed to hold the secret to limitless power. Now I don't want to spoil the big reveal but I will say that what Po realizes is the same as what I speak to in the concept of being and authentic identity. So, where do we find the secret to our "power?" I praise You, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works! My very self You know. Psalm 139:14 God knows it; and we must seek Him with all of our hearts in order to find it. As it was in the movie, the answer is stunningly simple. Our authentic identity is already within us. The challenge for Po in the movie was in seeing himself accurately and not the way others saw him. Even his teacher scoffed at the idea that Po was anything more than an underachieving dreamer who overate when he was anxious. Po's problems are rooted in the fact that he believes the lie of his false identity much more than he does his authentic one. Is it possible that you do the same? Who could have imagined that beneath all of Po's girth lived the Dragon Warrior? What's hidden from view in you? Seek God for understanding as to who He created you to be. Spoiler Alert: the secret of your limitless power is already in you. God placed it there and He wants you to be who He authentically created you to be.
Maria and I have been playing in the dirt a lot recently. First we replaced our French drain and then we embarked on a creative project intended to change the entire look of our front yard. My brother Jeffrey and I installed a new front step.
