The Greatest Fool

I just had some thoughts only a moment ago that might be worth sharing. I noticed a pattern in my life. When, say my wife, isn't putting her full confidence in, say my health expertise, I get hurt or angry or depressed. Or it might happen while driving. She says, "Where are you going? This is the long way." Then I say, "Trust me," or "Why don't you just trust me?" trying to coerce my wife to admit that I am right about my road judgments. It is difficult for me to entrust myself to others, yet I cannot accept it when they do not entrust themselves to my judgment or control. It seems foolish to trust someone else's judgment over my own. It seems irresponsible to entrust myself to the criticism and possible ridicule of others.

"A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted. Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others." (Mark 12; cf Matthew 21; Luke 20)

Is God the greatest fool? I don't comprehend how or why God's son took on flesh. God entrusted himself to untrustworthy human beings. The world that should have cried out in worship to him tore him apart and killed him. How backward I am! When God would trust the untrustable, I would demand that other untrustables trust me.

The end of the matter for me is that I can't trust myself. I must die to myself. I GET to die to myself. It's better off for me this way. It's better off for the world this way. I'm going to try to put this into practice this week, but I have a feeling it will be a constant battle with me trying to make others trust my judgment and advice rather than entrusting myself to them. I assume that God is pleased when I try to learn from and imitate him in this respect. If I am wrong in this assumption, please try to stop me. ;-)