Today I learned the Greek word for 'poop'. Now you know that you really need to know this. The Greek word for 'Poop" is ..... skubala. I bet that as you looked at the word, you said it in your mind, and maybe even verbally said it. I know. Because I did when I read it. Are you thinking how you can use it in a sentence today and have fun with some people?
We do things and learn things when we share stories of who we are. We elaborate on the things we think the others don't know. Take a Greek scholar and a police officer. You'd think that the police officer would be well respected for his job, for his protection, for his watchful eye. But I think you would be surprised that more people would be, when comparing the two (without the police officer acting in your behalf on something), these people would be more respectful of the scholar who knew the Greek word 'poop'. Imagine that. Crazy world that we live in.
As I read again the story about the Prodigal Son and focusing on the older son, we see a son who has been obedient to his father, he has followed in his father' steps. But, oh, is he angry his father literally ran to the younger, prodigal, son. The one who had demanded his inheritance and ran off and squandered it all. Instead of running behind the father to the prodigal son, to welcome him home with love and gladness, when he finds out the prodigal son has appeared, the older son goes back out into the field to sulk, refusing to celebrate the younger, prodigal son returning.
Isn't that what many of us do in life? We are so emmeshed in what we want our lives to be, what we expect in our lives, that when something special happens to someone else, we reject it. We don't care. After all, WE didn't get that kind of treatment, and look at how good we have been! I didn't get that job and that person did - and look how much harder I have worked! I chose not to go to that event just because they got attention and I didn't. You never did that for me. Remember what the older (son) sibling said? "You never even gave me a goat to celebrate with my friends!"
Ah... but Jesus was talking about the Pharisees as being the older son, the older sibling, the one who was so obedient to the father that he never asked for anything more. The Pharisees were the ones who were furious that justice had not been served to the younger son in the parable. The younger son should have been rejected by the father, just as he was by the oldest son. That's what the Pharisees wanted. Then they realized the story was about them. They were the older brother. Oooohhh, they were not happy at all! After all, weren't they the ones who studied all the time, memorized the scriptures, and taught others? How dare Jesus tell them that they weren't fair.
We are called to love, regardless of whether we are the older sibling, younger sibling, or even the middle sibling. We are called to love each one as we want Jesus to love us. He told us, you know, that the greatest commandment is:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all yur strength."
but He also taught us the second greatest commandment,
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
Or in a way that Jesus wanted them to hear.... "love others (regardless who they are) as you love yourself".
I don't know about you, but I have seen people who must really hate themselves for they treat other people like ... ok, I'll use it in this sentence!... they treat other people like skubala!
Don't let that be you. Don't treat other people like skubala. Treat others the way you want to be treated. And if you want to be treated like skubala, I don't know what to tell you other than,
Jesus still loves you. Even when you are skubala.
Blessings!
