“What you see and perceive may be the opposite of what you thought”; With a song in my heart; thoughts from our music director, Rick Roberts.
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Good Monday morning,
I think we should start the week with a funny story: My first pastoral ministry was as an assistant pastor to youth at a large church in the Pennsylvania Dutch country. In the fall of that first year, a visiting pastor was having a Saturday breakfast meeting with our group. I was anxious for every detail of this event to be flawless and elegant, so the lay youth workers and I agreed to bring the last of the fall flowers from our gardens for floral arrangements. The next morning, I decided to walk to church. There I was, dressed in a dark suit, a tie, hat and overcoat, walking down the street at 6:30 a.m. with a bouquet of chrysanthemums tucked under my arm. As I strolled along, a car passed me from behind. Then, as though an afterthought, the driver stopped, backed up, rolled down the window, gestured to the flowers, and quipped, “If you’re just getting home, buddy, you’d better take her more than those.” (Readers Digest) |
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There is a moral to this tale: what you see and perceive may be the opposite of what you thought, and that would be an injustice.
Jesus was also a victim of such sad circumstances. As Jesus began his earthly ministry, even those closest to him struggled to understand his teaching and believe in him. His family tried to take him back home. His disciples scratched their heads. The religious leaders and authorities outright rejected and plotted against him.
If you study the Gospel of Mark, you will find a theme of misunderstanding and rejection that helps us recognize Jesus for who he really is, so that we might believe and grow deeper in relationship with our Savior and Lord.
May you have a blessed week.
With a song in my heart,
Rick
