Matthew 11:8 Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people with expensive clothes live in palaces.
My Thoughts
Here Jesus was asking a question about John the Baptist and He goes on to teach some important lessons. But for some reason I really got stuck on these words that Jesus spoke. We often make "expensive" relative to more than what we have in our lives. But if we look the world over, really pay attention, expensive for some people is the sale rack at your local K-Mart. In my mind when an outfit cost as much at my weekly grocery bill it is expensive!! What I noticed is that Jesus said, "People with expensive clothes live in palaces." How often do any of us look at our homes as a palace?
The very first house that I have memory of living in as a child had a living room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms and a bath...and a side porch had been taken in to make a sun porch. I have some of my best memories from that house. We were comfortable and warm, I remember being happy there. That house would fit in 1/3 of my house today. Around where I live they don't even build houses that size anymore. You would have to buy a single wide, like Robby and I lived in when we first got married to have that few square feet. Now it is hard to even find a place to put a single wide trailer because people are want to keep their neighborhoods nice. I don't think they even make single wides that small anymore.
We have become society that expects to live in palaces... instead of being thankful for them. I am guilty!! I have not been near thankful enough for the wonderful palace I live in!! I have not been thankful when I could go and buy expensive clothes. I have not been thankful when I bought my clothes at K-Mart. I am not thankful enough that I can pick up a phone out of my purse and call my family and friends.
My mother remembered her first telephone.... My dad and I were taking about how far the world has come in his lifetime, just before Christmas. He and my mother didn't have a phone until after I was born. Now I can call people from my car or from the grocery store. Yet I don't ever remember saying, "Thank you God for my cell phone!" I bet my grandmother said, "Thank you God for this phone!" It meant she could call the doctor if she needed him for one of her 8 children. For me today a phone means that I can talk to my daughter how is an hour away, or my son in Auburn.. or my dad who is two towns away, anytime that I want. Before phones I would have been reduced to seeing them when we had time and wondering how they were doing. Yet I have never said, "Thank you God for this phone?" I should be saying it every time it rings!!! Or every time I pick it up to call someone!!
My point is that we in America, most of us, life like kings. We are warm in the winter, cool in the summer, our bellies get fed, we have entertainment at our fingertips, we can communicate with people from around the world on our computers. If we fell and got hurt in the woods we could use our phones to call for help. And look at all that we have above all of that!! God has provided all of these things for us, and not only do we not make time for Him, we forget to say thank you!
If we are too busy to stop for a minute to be aware of all that we have, then we have made our lives way busier than God intended, don't you think? Today enjoy your palace! Stop and notice that it is just that a palace... and send a thank you up to God! I know that for a change I will!!
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