Daily Office Reflection: A hundredfold, or thirty, it is fine.

Psalms 78:1-39 * 78:40-72; Leviticus 26:1-20; 1Timothy 2:1-6; Matthew 13:18-23

But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understand it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.

So many of my friends are so very competitive. If I do something, they want to do that thing better, or at least do it as well. This is true among children in a different way, when one has a talent or ability in one thing, a child who does not possess that same talent can fall into a deep funk over not being as good as their friend.

I love this passage from Matthew as Jesus is acknowledging that some of us are better then others in various works we do: and that is alright. We are all different, capable of different things. We hear this in a number of different places in the Gospels, but being human I think we need to be reminded of this frequently. This passage, if we listen to it and take it to heart, can take away jealousy and cravings for wanting to be better at something that we just aren't good at. This passage can allow us to live into our own gifts, whether they are a hundredfold or thirty. What a relief.
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Copyright 2008, John F. Dwyer. All Rights Reserved