Thought for Today
Joshua 14:15 Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba; this Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war.
Job 1:3 He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.
Matthew 18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" 2 He called a child, whom he put among them, 3 and said, "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
You may be aware that there is a big football game next Sunday. This morning on the television, Greta encountered “Welcome to Super Bowl Week!” Think about it for a while. Evidently the money to be made by capitalizing on the game is so great that a single day of obsession (and endless commercials) is not enough to exhaust the available cash. So, now we have a full week of Super Bowl mania.
I wonder whether this obsession is not a part of our focus on comparatives. Our society is constantly comparing one thing or one person against another. We have even developed an acronym, G.O.A.T., for ‘greatest of all time.’ I cannot imagine that my name will ever be considered in any comparative contest, but I would strongly prefer to be considered the ‘best of all time,’ rather than the greatest of all time. I’d rather be an old boat than an old goat. I’ve seen goats; I’ve been downwind of goats.
You needn’t be exposed to advertising very long to observe the obsession with comparatives. Every product, every car, every medication seems to be the best. Some years ago, we often saw things designated as “New and Improved!” Some of the changes are certainly improvements. But it seems to me that much of what we encounter in life as “New and Improved” is merely changed. Many of the changes are what I categorize as ‘because we can’ technology. Currently we see a lot of “New and Improved” centered around artificial intelligence. Advertisers are using phrases like “Designed by AI” as a lure to get us to buy a product. Often the major change in that product is in the packaging. I’m still waiting for the first toothpaste commercial claiming the product has been redesigned by AI or that it incorporates AI!
“The first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super Bowl I and referred to in contemporaneous reports, including the game's radio broadcast, as the Super Bowl) was an American football game played on January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The National Football League (NFL) champion Green Bay Packers defeated the American Football League (AFL) champion Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 35–10 . . .” (en.wikipedia.org)
This coming week, as you endure the endless hype, ask yourself whether you remember the names of anyone involved in that game. In the same manner, ask yourself whether or not anyone remembers the name of “Arba . . . the greatest man among the Anakim.” If you have read your Bible, you should at least remember the name of Job. Hopefully, you will at least remember some of the story of Job. You may even on rare occasions hear a casual reference to the ‘luck of Job’ or ‘the luck of Job’s wife, or maybe even a reference to someone’s being like ‘a friend of Job.’
Are comparatives important? Sometimes! Do we really need to argue and debate about which athlete or entertainer is or was the G.O.A.T.? Is it even possible to determine comparisons over long spans of time? The game of football (Yes, even Texans believe it is only a game) played in 1967 was a very different game than will be played next Sunday. The ball has been changed. Many of the rules have been changed. The marketing of the entire experience has been greatly changed.
Read the 25th chapter of Matthew’s gospel to see what Jesus said about sheep and G.O.A.T.s (okay, I stretched that a bit) . Think about Jesus’ answer to "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Jesus did not equate greatness with athletic ability. Jesus did not equate greatness with I.Q. Jesus did not equate greatness with wealth or power. Jesus equated greatness, eternal greatness in the kingdom of heaven, with childlike humility and trust in God. Childlike, not childish!
Stay safe, do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with God, trust God,
Pastor Ray