In his reflections on the gospel of Luke in The New Interpreter’s Bible, R. Alan Culpepper tells a Jewish story centered on the good fortune of a hardworking farmer. The Lord appeared to this farmer and granted him three wishes, but the catch was that whatever the Lord did for the farmer would be given double to his neighbor. The farmer was thrilled, and wished for a hundred cattle. Immediately the wish was granted, and the farmer was ecstatic until he saw that his neighbor had 200. So he wished for a hundred acres of land, and again he was overjoyed until he saw that his neighbor had 200.
Rather than celebrating God’s goodness, the farmer could not escape feeling jealous and cheated because his neighbor had received more than he had. Finally, he stated his third wish: that God would strike him blind in one eye. And God wept.
We are given many choices to make in life. Many decisions are made according to what we see. But what we see may not determine our best interest. The beauty or handsomeness of a person may only be the cover-up of an ugly attitude. What may appear greener on the other side may be a patch of grass over a cesspool. Things may not appear the way they are.
Christ’s gospel gives us the reality to live and love life with true meaning and mission. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
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