Anything for an Ox

Doubtless you have heard the expression, "I had an ox in the ditch" or some variation of it. It is just another saying that man has taken from the Bible and shaped to suit his own purposes. In most instances today, it is merely an excuse. "An excuse is a skin of truth stretched over a lie." That's what an aged Sunday School teacher told me, and I believe she was right.

Many times this expression is used in regards to missing church or being late getting there. Oh they will elaborate and say something about having to run an errand before church and......and..... It is in all the explanation that you find the truth of the matter. Something else took priority over attending the house of God. Does it really take both parents and all the siblings to care for one puny child? Couldn't they have filled up the car before the service?

And Jesus answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? Luke 14:5

In the original context, getting the ox out of a pit was considered work and thus broke the Law of the Sabbath. Yet having mercy on the animal outweighed the penalty of the Law. Jesus had just healed a man of dropsy. It was the Sabbath. The Pharisees looked on him with disdain. Jesus used this example to expose the weakness of the Law, highlight the supremacy of mercy, and shut the mouths of the religious critics.

Showing mercy to an ox is an attribute we all should have. If we see a fellow ox in the ditch then we should act immediately. Don't wait for the elders to pray for them on Sunday. Don't wait until their struggles have zapped all their strength. Don't wait until they are covered in mud or the water is over their heads. Jesus would not wait, so why should we?

By the way, be sure to check out the reader's comments on the previous post. Good stuff.

A Goad for this Ox

I guess I can be too particular about how I want a post to unfold. I have been working for days on a post related to the oxen. It is easier for me to jot a few notes on an index card,step behind the lectern, and let it fly. All the more reason to blog, I guess. The goad will do me good if I yield to it.

Then again; I begin on one subject and realize that it can't be properly covered without covering other subtopics. Next thing I know I have one of those involved posts that require too much time for the average surfer to read. Just excuses. I know I can just break it down into a series of shorter posts. That would probably be better anyway. I can write all I want while my mind is on the subject, then post at regular intervals.

A confession is in order here. Actually, the ease of discovering and reading blogs requires so much less concentration than writing them. There's so much good material out there. I am drawn to the blogs of ministers and theologians. I also enjoy learning about widgets, templates, and HTML. Even writing about needing to write seems to be a deterrent to fulfilling the purpose of this blog.


"But what I’m discovering, contrary to the pervasive wisdom of educating oneself, makes me wonder if this information deluge might be hindering the discipleship process God created rather than boosting it." writes Dan of Cerulean Sanctum. He also has a lot of excellent feedback in the comment section.

What really applies here is that old saying about too much of a good thing.
Isn't that just how the enemy works? He substitutes good things for the best things. He offers excuses in place of the truth. My how he transforms himself into an angel of light!

Even as I write about the enemy, I am reminded of the Victor. He said to Paul on the road to Damascus, " It is hard for you to kick against the pricks". I haven't ever run from my calling and I'm not going to now. I will yield to the goad. Tomorrow is a new day and a new effort.

R U Sure it's N There?

Have you ever heard that saying, "a little birdie told me"? What about "spare the rod and spoil the child"? Most folks attribute these to the Bible. There's many more old sayings that have their root in the Good Book. Some however are only found there in principle and still others orginate elsewhere.

A few of these I knew just where to find, others I'm still looking for. Feel free to submit answers and additional quotes.

"You're going to wear out your welcome." Proverbs 25:17

"Spare the rod and spoil the child." Proverbs 23:13,14

"Kill them with kindness." Proverbs 25:21,22

"Laughter is the best medicine." Proverbs 17:22

"Money is the root of all evil." This one is actually a misquote. The Bible actually says, "The love of money is the root of all evil." ITimothy 6:10

"The apple of my eye." Deut 32:10

"Like mother, like daughter." Ezek 16:45

"Like digging your own grave" ____________

"Cleanliness is next to godliness." _____________

"He looked beyond my faults and saw my needs." ______________

One of my favorites, "all liars will have their trailers parked at the lake." _____