"You Don't..."
"You Don't..."
July 6, 2016
It was the summer of 1972. I was a 14 year-old boy living on the east coast of Florida and Jim Croce released his latest big hit, "You Don't Mess Around With Jim." Perhaps you remember the title song. the chorus went like this,
"You don't tug on Superman's cape,
You don't spit into the wind,
You don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger,
And you don't mess around with Jim."
The lyrics are set in a pool hall in New York City. "Big Jim" Walker is the titular character - note, I did not say hero. He's portrayed in the song as big, bad, mean and not particularly bright. The story in song ends violently when Willie "Slim" McCoy ambushes Big Jim and slays him. The pool hall regulars then change their advice to strangers by saying, "You don't mess around with Slim."
Croce's song makes popular street wisdom. Of course, the song is about a bad boy and his eventual comeuppance, but it's interesting to note how the advice to not mess with Jim or Slim is reinforced, "You don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind, you don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger." I imagine that most little boys learn the spitting lesson by about the age of ten. However, the song is about a really bad guy, and the lesson emphasizes not messing around with Superman, nor the Lone Ranger. Wait, I thought they were good guys. Good guys are supposed to be approachable. Like God - He's approachable! Of course, I've strayed from talking about fictional heroes to a hero in reality. It's important to remember that the personalities of fictional people often reflect real people. God is a real person - the original person. Real people have likes and dislikes. Real people have boundaries, desires, pet peeves, aspirations, loves and hates. God is a real person, and as our passage in Proverbs teaches - He hates. In this case, six things people do. Kind of like tugging on Superman's cape. Seven things are an abomination. I can't say that an abomination is kind of like pulling the mask off the Lone Ranger, but the thought does make you pause.
The Holy Spirit sings His own song of warning. He uses strong language here - God hates six things, and seven are an abomination. So, don't mess with Jim. You definitely don't mess with Slim. Don't spit into the wind. Don't tug on Superman's cape. Don't pull the mask off of the Lone Ranger. And really, really don't do things God finds abominable. After all, such wisdom is in Proverbs, that's the Bible. You should pay a lot of attention to such things. At this point it is important to note that our culture is turned upside down in this regard. yesterday's FBI announcement is a great example. The investigation into Hillary Clinton found gross wrongdoing in regards to sensitive emails. Yet, they are not going to prosecute. Surprise! It might be safe to note that half the country is outraged. It would also be safe to note that the other half is not. I'm not surprised. I'm 58 years-old. I long ago gave up hope that investigations that "will get to the bottom of things" and that "people will pay" have managed to never achieve either ultimatum. Some would say that this is like messing with Big Jim or Slim, or another Croce song, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. I'm different, to me it hearkens back to what one sage once penned, "all animals are created equal, some animals are more equal than others." The truth is that there is little wisdom in the wisdom of mankind. Values, and the application of standards is as capricious as the wind. With that lesson in mind, let's get back to Proverbs.
If one were to walk into a proverbial pool hall and God were there (to the Pharisees - this is not a time to split hairs) I think it is a safe bet that there is no one standing behind Him who is bigger, more fearsome or more powerful. Got it? Good. Now, let's imagine you decide to go over and pick a pool room fight. Your first weapon - haughty eyes. Oh, you never do that? "Consider others better than yourselves." Does that happen 100% of the time in your life? Really?! How do you treat others in...traffic for starters?
"A lying tongue." What's your tax return look like? That's for starters. You be really honest - with yourself.
"Hands that shed innocent blood." Hmmm, what was that passage? Oh yes, the Sermon on the Mount! If you hate someone that is the same as murdering them. How's that rationalization going? What's that? Every one who disagrees with you is Hitler, and it's okay to hate Hitler. Hmmm.
"A heart that devises wicked plans." Well, hating someone is a starter for this one. Have you ever fantasized about revenge on another person?
"Feet that make haste to run to evil." Self explanatory. Favorite sins seem to be a given if you are human. as a matter of fact, we use that as an excuse, "I'm only human." But consider how quickly you may hurry to rebel against God's will and compare that to how quickly you run to do His bidding.
"A false witness who breathes out lies." Why is it that in considering sin, rebelling against God's precepts only in regards to the worst example? For example, this clause allows a person to breathe a sigh of relief because "I have never knowingly testified falsely against another." However, is not a "prayer" circle more of a gossip circle, and does not gossip oftentimes include the spreading of false rumors about another? The sin generally starts with, "Did you hear?" And ends with, "Well, people are saying." Some "saints" treat gossip as an attribute and act as though they are the head of the gossip ministry within the church. If we remembered that this is the last of the six things God hates.
"And one who sows discord among brothers." Why does this seventh clause make the other six abominations? Perhaps because the one who causes distension and seeks to divide almost always uses the other six to accomplish the seventh. Thom Rainey states in his blog that often these individuals do not recognize this in themselves. Still, you don't tug on Superman's cape.
The Holy Spirit sings His own song of warning. He uses strong language here - God hates six things, and seven are an abomination. So, don't mess with Jim. You definitely don't mess with Slim. Don't spit into the wind. Don't tug on Superman's cape. Don't pull the mask off of the Lone Ranger. And really, really don't do things God finds abominable. After all, such wisdom is in Proverbs, that's the Bible. You should pay a lot of attention to such things. At this point it is important to note that our culture is turned upside down in this regard. yesterday's FBI announcement is a great example. The investigation into Hillary Clinton found gross wrongdoing in regards to sensitive emails. Yet, they are not going to prosecute. Surprise! It might be safe to note that half the country is outraged. It would also be safe to note that the other half is not. I'm not surprised. I'm 58 years-old. I long ago gave up hope that investigations that "will get to the bottom of things" and that "people will pay" have managed to never achieve either ultimatum. Some would say that this is like messing with Big Jim or Slim, or another Croce song, Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. I'm different, to me it hearkens back to what one sage once penned, "all animals are created equal, some animals are more equal than others." The truth is that there is little wisdom in the wisdom of mankind. Values, and the application of standards is as capricious as the wind. With that lesson in mind, let's get back to Proverbs.
If one were to walk into a proverbial pool hall and God were there (to the Pharisees - this is not a time to split hairs) I think it is a safe bet that there is no one standing behind Him who is bigger, more fearsome or more powerful. Got it? Good. Now, let's imagine you decide to go over and pick a pool room fight. Your first weapon - haughty eyes. Oh, you never do that? "Consider others better than yourselves." Does that happen 100% of the time in your life? Really?! How do you treat others in...traffic for starters?
"A lying tongue." What's your tax return look like? That's for starters. You be really honest - with yourself.
"Hands that shed innocent blood." Hmmm, what was that passage? Oh yes, the Sermon on the Mount! If you hate someone that is the same as murdering them. How's that rationalization going? What's that? Every one who disagrees with you is Hitler, and it's okay to hate Hitler. Hmmm.
"A heart that devises wicked plans." Well, hating someone is a starter for this one. Have you ever fantasized about revenge on another person?
"Feet that make haste to run to evil." Self explanatory. Favorite sins seem to be a given if you are human. as a matter of fact, we use that as an excuse, "I'm only human." But consider how quickly you may hurry to rebel against God's will and compare that to how quickly you run to do His bidding.
"A false witness who breathes out lies." Why is it that in considering sin, rebelling against God's precepts only in regards to the worst example? For example, this clause allows a person to breathe a sigh of relief because "I have never knowingly testified falsely against another." However, is not a "prayer" circle more of a gossip circle, and does not gossip oftentimes include the spreading of false rumors about another? The sin generally starts with, "Did you hear?" And ends with, "Well, people are saying." Some "saints" treat gossip as an attribute and act as though they are the head of the gossip ministry within the church. If we remembered that this is the last of the six things God hates.
"And one who sows discord among brothers." Why does this seventh clause make the other six abominations? Perhaps because the one who causes distension and seeks to divide almost always uses the other six to accomplish the seventh. Thom Rainey states in his blog that often these individuals do not recognize this in themselves. Still, you don't tug on Superman's cape.
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