Matt. 4 -- special people

Sometimes, it helps to look at the end of a trend, before committing to it. On a very strange day, a young couple came to the street mission / commune, seeking refuge. She was about to give birth. He was, at that point, and forever after in memory, "the most worthless man I ever met," a pouting, self-pitying parasite. Bone-idle. He and his new bride were adept at "working" various social-service and charitable agencies. When presented with some work that could be done, he gave a staff member a social services health card, and walked away. Showed up after the baby was born, to pound on his wife in the hospital. Disappeared again. Shortly after the girl's mother arrived to take her back home, alone. The van paused briefly to pick up a small coffin at a local funeral home.

The baby had been killed with a drug overdose.

Some people are "special."

In this chapter, İsa is presented with three major temptations. The middle one is on my mind this morning.

Mat 4:5, 6 Sonra İblis O'nu kutsal kente götürdü. Tapınağın tepesine çıkarıp, "Tanrı'nın Oğlu'ysan, kendini aşağı at" dedi, "Çünkü şöyle yazılmıştır: 'Tanrı, senin için meleklerine buyruk verecek.' 'Ayağın bir taşa çarpmasın diye Seni elleri üzerinde taşıyacaklar.'"
Mat 4:7 İsa İblis'e şu karşılığı verdi: "'Tanrın Rab'bi denemeyeceksin' diye de yazılmıştır."

How often do I, do you, hear that insinuating voice whispering in our inner ear? "Go ahead. You are special. You don't have to play by the rules. The universe will always make an exception for you."

The guy who fails to work to achieve his goals, and counts instead on God intervening miraculously at the last minute, is in for some serious disappointments, as well as some wonderful surprises, since God is kind. However, "to fail to plan is to plan to fail." Those who do not do the routine stuff they already know that they need to be doing are tempting God. Presuming upon His mercies. Yes, there is a "dimension of miracles" in life. But miracles tend to happen to folks who are hard at work, pursuing their vocations with vigor.

Not even İsa expected God to make exceptions for him, at his whim. Neither should I.