Three Questions by Tolstoy - Part I

 Here is a shorty story by Leo Tolstoy, I'm presenting it in two parts. I will post the second part tomorrow, the Lord willing. Then, I'll do a follow up post to share some thoughts.

As you read and ponder Three Questions, how might the Bible inform our perspective on the story? How can the story challenge us? 

Much love,

Bob  

 It once occurred to a certain king, that if he always knew the right time to begin everything; if he knew who were the right people to listen to, and whom to avoid; and, above all, if he always knew what was the most important thing to do, he would never fail in anything he might undertake.

 

And this thought having occurred to him, he had it proclaimed throughout his kingdom that he would give a great reward to anyone who would teach him what was the right time for every action, and who were the most necessary people, and how he might know what was the most important thing to do.

 

And learned men came to the King, but they all answered his questions differently.

 

In reply to the first question, some said that to know the right time for every action, one must draw up in advance, a table of days, months and years, and must live strictly according to it. Only thus, said they, could everything be done at its proper time. Others declared that it was impossible to decide beforehand the right time for every action; but that, not letting oneself be absorbed in idle pastimes, one should always attend to all that was going on, and then do what was most needful. 

Others, again, said that however attentive the King might be to what was going on, it was impossible for one man to decide correctly the right time for every action, but that he should have a Council of wise men, who would help him to fix the proper time for everything.

 

But then again others said there were some things which could not wait to be laid before a Council, but about which one had at once to decide whether to undertake them or not. But in order to decide that, one must know beforehand what was going to happen. It is only magicians who know that; and, therefore, in order to know the right time for every action, one must consult magicians.

 

Equally various were the answers to the second question. Some said, the people the King most needed were his councilors; others, the priests; others, the doctors; while some said the warriors were the most necessary.

 

To the third question, as to what was the most important occupation: some replied that the most important thing in the world was science. Others said it was skill in warfare; and others, again, that it was religious worship.

 

All the answers being different, the King agreed with none of them, and gave the reward to none. But still wishing to find the right answers to his questions, he decided to consult a hermit, widely renowned for his wisdom.

 

 The hermit lived in a wood which he never quitted, and he received none but common folk. So the King put on simple clothes, and before reaching the hermit’s cell dismounted from his horse, and, leaving his bodyguard behind, went on alone. 

 

When the King approached, the hermit was digging the ground in front of his hut. Seeing the King, he greeted him and went on digging. The hermit was frail and weak, and each time he stuck his spade into the ground and turned a little earth, he breathed heavily.

 

 The King went up to him and said: “I have come to you, wise hermit, to ask you to answer three questions: How can I learn to do the right thing at the right time? Who are the people I most need, and to whom should I, therefore, pay more attention than to the rest? And, what affairs are the most important, and need my first attention?”

 

The hermit listened to the King but answered nothing. He just spat on his hand and recommenced digging.

To be continued....

“Git!!!”

 

We’ve been adopted by a cat. This process began during the winter, has had its ups and downs, and while we’ve experienced some moments when we despaired of the process, it seems to have been pretty much completed.  I write “pretty much” because with this cat we may never know. Though, what I’m about to share might indicate that she has indeed made her final decision about us.

 

The players:

 

Princess, the tabby cat who lives next door. She is about thirteen years old, has been a visitor to our deck and garden for a few years, and was hospitable to Lady Jane when Lady Jane was very much a cat on her own seeking food in the neighborhood.

 

Lady Jane, a calico cat who began showing up for food during the winter. We named her Lady Jane because we wanted a name to associate with Princess. There was a time we couldn’t touch Lady Jane, couldn’t pet her, couldn’t get close to her. Now she spends the night inside with us, gets lots of pets, plays with us (but don’t touch her tummy, she is a Venus cat trap and will get you!) and is quite affectionate.

 

Socks, a large male cat. We call him Socks because, of course, he is a black cat with white lower legs and paws.  Socks intimidates Princess and Lady Jane and eats their food.

 

Lady Jane and Princess have cat condos on our deck. We purchased them during the winter so they’d have warm places to stay. Lady Jane not only uses her cat condo for warmth, but when she is afraid she jumps inside it for security.

 

Okay, the stage is set, let’s have some action.

 

Yesterday morning, as I let Lady Jane outside and onto our back deck, I called for Princess so she could come over for her first breakfast. Princess is an outdoor cat and she normally sleeps on her parents’ patio, which is just feet from our deck. The two cats have two breakfasts. I feed them around 5:30 and Lisa, Princess’s mom, feeds them later. I suppose they are like Tolkien’s Hobbits, who maintained a custom of having a first breakfast and then a second breakfast.

 

Princess normally comes right over, expecting to be served dry food in one bowl and wet food in another, she will make her own decision as to just what she’ll eat on any given day, my job is to serve, not to ask questions. Yesterday, however, there was no Princess. I called again, then again, then again, but no Princess.

 

Okay, I thought, I’ll go inside and get some coffee and come back out and see if she shows up. Lady Jane was settling down on the deck, having already eaten in the house. As I opened the door and stepped inside, out of the corner of my eye I saw Lady Jane bolt into her cat condo, as I turned I saw Princess running up on the deck chased by Socks.

 

Instinctively I turned back onto the deck and yelled, “Git!”

 

Socks did just that, he turned around and was gone in a flash.

 

After making sure that Socks had left the area, I told Lady Jane she could come out of her condo, which she did. Then I brought Princess her breakfast and stayed outside for a few minutes just to make sure everything would be fine.

 

Then it hit me, when I yelled “Git” neither Lady Jane nor Princess ran, only Socks. A few months ago Lady Jane would have bolted too, but not now. They knew my “Git” voice was not for them, in fact, it was to protect them.

 

When I mentioned this to Vickie later in the morning, she said, “All Princess and Lady Jane hear from us are words of love, they have never heard words to cause fear. They knew you weren’t talking to them.”

 

O how I wish we were secure in God’s love for us in Jesus Christ. How I wish we knew that “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him” (1 John 4:16). How I wish we knew that “Perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18). How I wish we lived in the assurance that “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38 – 39).

 

Jesus says that His sheep know His voice (John 10:1 – 5).

 

Do we?

 

Are we living in the incredible love of God in Jesus Christ?

 

Are we sharing His amazing love with others?

 

Is His love our Way of Life?

 

1 Corinthians Chapter 13; 1 John Chapter 4.

 

Much love, from me to you in Jesus Christ.

 

Bob

 

 

“Why This Waste?”

 

 

“A woman came to Him with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume, and she poured it on His head as He reclined at the table. But the disciples were indignant when they saw this, and said, ‘Why this waste?’” (Matthew 26:8).

 

This passage has meant much to me over the years. While John’s account focuses on Judas’s reaction, Matthew points the finger at himself and the rest of the disciples. John had his purpose in focusing on Judas, his context makes this clear, while Matthew wants to include us all in the response, “Why this waste?”

 

As I was pondering this passage this morning, I wondered if I have wasted my life for Jesus. Not “wasted” in the sense in which we usually think of the word, but rather, as the woman in our passage, have I poured out my life upon Jesus? Of course, the world…and sadly the professing church…will consider this a waste in the normal sense of the word; but what the world and religious people consider a waste, God considers a precious offering (Romans 12:1 – 2).

 

Will St. Peter, or whomever has duty that day, ask me at the Gate, “Have you wasted your life for Jesus our Lord and for others?”

 

To waste our lives for Jesus, to allow the perfume to flow and its fragrance to fill the room, means that our vessel must be broken – no brokenness means no release of the fragrance, no release of the fragrance means no waste.

 

When the fragrance is released not everyone smells the same thing, to some the fragrance is “an aroma from death to death, to others an aroma from life to life” (2 Cor. 2:16).

 

The world and the professing church insist on the pragmatic; they don’t want to see us so devoted to Jesus Christ that we stop feeding their pragmatic systems that are self-perpetuating and ever growing and consuming resources. But this passage is really about us, about me and you and about our devotion to Jesus. We need not answer for others, but we will surely answer for ourselves.

 

If we are pouring our lives out upon Jesus, then it will make no practical sense in the eyes of others – an offering is an offering, the object of the offering is God and not me, not you, not the pragmatic. Once God receives our offering, God does with it as He pleases, we relinquish control to Him. Our offering is, of course, ourselves – Christ demands no less, He demands everything (Mark 8:34 – 38).

 

So, is my life a waste for Christ?

 

What will I answer St. Peter at the Gate?

 

What will you answer?