Daily Jewel

by Pastor Carnell, McAlester, OK
Feb. 10, 2012

“Clueless”
“Write this at the top of your list—get understanding!” – Proverbs 4:7 (The Message)

I used to think that the term “clueless” was a synonym for the word “stupid.” I have changed my mind on that one. The term implies a lack of information, misinformation, or a certain naiveté. And in some cases, it can be a very good thing. I’ll explain.
I love stories in the New Testament where the people were clueless about Jesus and his mission to the world. In Jerusalem it was the first day of the week leading up to Passover. Unknown to most of the citizens of Jerusalem, Jesus was about to enter their city. He had been in the city before, and whenever he came to town, something memorable happened. When he approached the city this time, he was riding on a donkey—not exactly a politically correct thing to do. Early risers near the entrance to the city that day spotted him, and a crowd soon gathered. Excitement was beginning to build. A friendly mob formed and followed him into the city. Here is how Matthew described it:
“He was the center of the procession, and the crowds all around him were shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David! Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Praise God in highest heaven!’ The entire city of Jerusalem was stirred as he entered, ‘Who is this?’ they asked. And the crowds replied, ‘It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’” (Matthew 21:10, 11

) They said the right words, but the mob had no idea about what was going to happen. Jesus would be dead in five days. But the mob didn’t see it coming. They were clueless. The contrasts that day were stark:

The mob shouted praises…Jesus wept. The mob looked for a warrior riding in a chariot…They got a carpenter riding on a donkey. The mob wanted hype…They got a healer. The mob wanted a prophet…They got a man who fulfilled prophecy. The mob wanted a guy with a scepter…They got a guy who would die before he would rule. The mob got nothing they asked for, but everything they needed. If they had only known….

A Christian College president reported to some of his colleagues on the events of the first week of classes at their school. A few days earlier he had met socially with a group of incoming students who had transferred from other universities. He asked them to tell about the most surprising thing they had experienced during that week in the new setting. One student said the thing that impressed her most was the fact that professors prayed before class. Praying before class was a surprise? Yes. And many in the new-student group agreed with her. There were other things that impressed them, of course, but the fact that professors began each class with prayer was at the top of their list of lasting first impressions. Until that first day in class they had been clueless about one of the differences between a Christian education and a secular education. They had been uninformed, but that was about to change…for the good. They also discovered that they felt much more attached to the school and their learning. Most of those students agreed that when they got into the classroom they became more attentive—open—and ready.
What’s the point here? That Christian colleges encourage prayer before classes and other colleges don’t? No. The point is that wherever Christians meet, caring happens. Where Christ’s followers gather, people are accepted for what they are. It is putting people at the “top of the list!” And it makes their lives better.
There is no reason at all that we should be “clueless.” Not when understanding is always within reach. Put it on the top of your list.
Pastor J. T. Carnell