9/07/2005
" Earthly possessions dazzle our eye and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety. Yet all the time they are the very source of all anxiety. If our hearts are set on them, our reward is an anxiety whose burden is intolerable " (Bonhoeffer, p178 'The Cost of Discipleship')
This passage is a paraphrase of sorts of 'Mathew 6:25-34' Bonhoeffer goes on to discuss the mentioned birds and lilies; and how we should be dependant on God for everything. While understanding the general idea, I don't understand the exact intent, from nature there are many animals who don't have this direct dependence, take for example the squirrel who knows to burry the nuts in the summer and fall so he can eat when they are non existent in the winter , or the bear which must eat to go into hibernation. In both of these cases God has designed the creature to act in the interest of the future. God has clearly designed man with the ability to think about the future, why then would Christ expect all of that to be thrown to the wind? In Genesis 41, Joseph is clearly commanded to store up grain for a coming famine. So When then is it right for us to use God given gifts of intelligence, and common sense To provide for ourselves, and when should we rely on God's providence? To take this to ridiculous extremes, The Israelites got the manna from Heaven, and yet they still had to GO collect it They didn't say well you know God can do anything, so he will float it on into my mouth... So what then is the dilemma? Is this just sophist argument to avoid obedience to Christ? How do we distinguish common sense, rationalization, prudence, and obedience? Is my 401k Disobedience? Prudence?, Common Sense? Collecting the Manna from heaven? I certainly have a great rational behind it; does that really mean anything though?
God is so great, omniscient, omnipotent, and I am so small, and know so little Even such simple commands are hard for me to grasp.