Tuesday 16 October 2018

Meditations Continued

  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Mathew 11:28-30 NKJV

  It seems like a good idea to delve into different translations of the Bible as I continue to explore, to meditate on, this passage.
  What has jumped out this morning is the phrase, "Learn from Me." The Jesus Centered Bible translated it as Jesus saying, "Let me teach you."

  I heard something a couple of weeks ago that has changed my perceptions a whole lot. To be a disciple is like being an apprentice as opposed to being a student. The biggest part of an apprenticeship is hands on learning by doing.
  Students may attain great knowledge but there often isn't a practicum to put learning into life. A student doesn't have to get their hands dirty. It's all theory.
  Hold on a minute...apprenticeship programs use both: books and dirty hands.

  Knowledge without practical use often fades away. The skills I learned (as a student) in art and music continue to be part of my life. Yet, my knowledge of mathematics has become an abbreviated skill because I don't use it often enough. Never mind the fact I barely understood half of it once they tossed in the alphabet. (Smile.)

  There's encouragement in Jesus's call to learn from Him. He isn't asking us to do anything He doesn't do Himself.
  Now, I don't know if this is influenced by the North American education system but when I think of a classroom, there is a hierarchy. Teachers are the authority. The students are subjects of that authority which often uses punishment to correct in lieu of encouragement.
  The system of rewarding the best students is a cruel one.
 
  And another "yet"...Jesus is my Master. He is authority with a capital "A".
  He is a good Master who wants to share His skills, His wisdom, His way of loving with me. His Father wrote the Book on it all to make sure I could study His ways. There's no punishment if I get it wrong, only encouragement to try and do better.
 
  Lord, forgive me. I need to toss away the scale, the rating system learned in school. It is both archaic and inapplicable to a walk with You. It has no place in a life of grace and mercy. Teach me to be alert to its insidious ways.
 Ha. It's funny what comes to mind... I forgive those who berated me for not having math skills, for not trying hard enough, for not getting good enough grades. Oh...I need to forgive myself for believing this made me stupid.

  Lord, bless the mathematicians!!! AMEN!
 
 
 

 

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