Not The Brightest Lightbulbs
We All Tend To Forget The Most Basic Lessons
by Eric Elkin
“Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures. ”
Watching the movie, Animal House was probably not the best way to prepare for college. Still, it shaped me more than I care to admit. My dad, brother, and I all went to see the movie together. We laughed from beginning to end. But it was my father's critique that formed me. He said as he laughed, "What's funny is most of that is true."
A whole generation of males my age was entertained and educated by that movie. Some saw it as a funny movie, others as a college lifestyle. Unfortunately, I fell into the latter group. It was a horrible decision.
One of the storylines I remember most was the Delta House cramming for finals. Dean Wormer informed the group of slackers he wanted them out. If the fraternity could not achieve a very minimal grade point average, they would be gone. The group took comic joy in the impossible task. They took pride in being idiots.
Most people think of late-night test cramming as a review of learned material. For me, it was spending the night reading, often for the first time, the information I was supposed to spend the semester learning. In my defense, by my junior year, I had settled into a more disciplined academic lifestyle. Still, I wonder how much information I missed those first two years of college.
“True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.”
I feel a kinship with Jesus' disciples. Let's be honest, they are not the brightest lightbulbs in the pack. Modern readers tend to glorify these early believers. However, over and over again, they show no signs of comprehension. Whenever I feel incompetent in faith, I read a disciple story. Then say to myself, "See, they didn't get it, and they were with Jesus."
In today's reading, Jesus is getting ready to ascend into heaven. It is his big farewell. Yet, he spends the time cramming the disciple's minds with the information they should have learned a long time ago. Once again, he tries to open their minds to scripture.
If you don't know your Bible all that well, you are in good company. As a matter of fact, there are times I feel it is not that important. Tell me, who would you rather be around - a person who can quote scripture? Or, a person who loves you unconditionally? I'll take the latter of those two options.
When teaching the faith to my children, I preferred them to learn grace and mercy over the names of the gospels. I thought that if they practiced forgiveness and compassion first, the Bible would make more sense to them. Funny, as adults, they quote bible stories all the time, but have no idea where they are located. They are rough around the edges, but I love their commitment to mercy, compassion, and grace.
In the end, Jesus opened the disciple's minds to scripture, so obviously, the Bible is essential. However, they are not tasked with memorization. Instead, he asks them to change their hearts and to live for the forgiveness of sins. Not in some cloistered places, but out in all nations on the earth.
Today, we remember the moment Jesus ascended into heaven. There is one thing we should take from this experience. The one who ascended instructed us to descend with love into the human community. Funny, I have been taught this lesson a million times and yet I continue to forget it. Maybe that is why Jesus continues to open our minds to scripture.
Click to read: Luke 24: 44-53
Reflection Questions:
Have you ever blown off learning something and then get pressed to cram the information in?
What holds more weight for you, learning the Bible or practicing its lessons?
How important is it to do both, learn and apply?
What is the lesson you need to be reminded of over and over again?
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