"What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For
you are careful to tithe even the tiniest income from your herb gardens, but
you ignore justice and the love of God. You should tithe, yes, but do not neglect
the more important things. What sorrow awaits you Pharisees! For you love to
sit in the seats of honor in the synagogues and receive respectful greetings as
you walk in the marketplaces. Yes, what sorrow awaits you! For you are like
hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption
they are stepping on." "Teacher," said an expert in religious
law, "you have insulted us, too, in what you just said."
"Yes," said Jesus, "what sorrow also awaits you experts in
religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you
never lift a finger to ease the burden. Luke 11:42-46 NLT
These scripture are from the same
passage…just different translations. The Pharisees wanted everyone to be as
strict about the Law as they were—even down to tithing from the sale of garden
herbs like mint. That is pretty picky. Yet they didn’t want to help those in
need. No compassion. Jesus was very compassionate—healing and helping people,
no matter what day of the week it was or who they were—Jew or Gentile. He was
warning the Pharisees—sorrow awaits you.
I think they could expect to be sad because they were critical and not willing
to help others. There was one expert who boldly told Jesus that he was
insulted—but Jesus put him in his place. The “experts” or lawyers were
demanding more from the Jews than they could give and what’s more, the experts
were not helping others with their problems. Where is the “love your neighbor
as yourself” in those religious leaders? Where is the “love your neighbor as
yourself” in your life?
Prayer ~ Jesus—You were the role model for
compassion…yet those Pharisees had the gall to be offended. As You challenged
them, are You challenging us? Open our eyes and hearts to help us be better
servants…and to love our neighbor as ourselves—as You commanded. "You must
love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength,
and all your mind. And, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27.
Daily
Bible Reading: Luke 11
Friday’s
Feast at the King’s Table
When I was just a kid about eight years
old, my Dad and Uncle Len raised peppermint on our farm. It was a great crop—better
than beans or even watermelon. Dad purchased cute little baby geese that grew
to be huge geese to weed the fields—so we only had to walk through and make
sure there was no nightshade—a deadly weed that even the geese wouldn’t eat and
which would make the peppermint oil poisonous. When it came time to harvest,
Dad and Len built a huge mint still and there were enormous vats on backs of
trucks to hold the peppermint leaves during the distillation process. The aroma
of the peppermint oil was amazing—and could be smelled for miles. It was like
breathing in heaven.
I’ve been growing peppermint in a little
patch of my rose garden by my front door for years. I’ve used it in a few
dishes, as a garnish on desserts, and in fresh and dried mint teas, but I’d
never even thought of making peppermint jelly until recently. Last week I
decided to harvest some mint and do just that—make some jelly. I didn’t want to
color it green…that just seems so fake. The first step is just to brew a strong
mint tea. Then it is mixed with lemon juice. At that point the smell of mint in
the air of my kitchen was overwhelming…bringing back memories of the mint still.
Ahhhh! The jelly is easy…but be sure to follow the directions on the pectin
package…not the instructions that you just happen to find on the internet. Sometime
things don’t turn out as expected…and I have to learn through failure. My first
batch is like mint syrup…yummy, but runny. It will make a great sweetener for
tea and syrup for pancakes. Enjoy the aroma of the mint…in the syrup and jelly
stages.
1½ cups chopped peppermint leaves stepped
for at least 10 minutes in 4 ½ cups boiling water
Use 1¾ cups mint tea
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
3½ cups sugar
1 3 ounce pouch liquid pectin (CERTO)
Bring 1¾ cups peppermint tea and lemon
juice to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in sugar and pectin. Return pan to heat.
Bring back to a rolling boil. Stir constantly for exactly 1 minute. Remove from
heat. Ladle into sterile jelly jars, filling to within ¼ inch of top. Wipe jar
rim and threads. Seal with hot two-piece metal lids, screwing bands on tightly.
Process for 10 minutes on a metal rack in a
boiling water bath, covering jars with 1 to 2 inches of water. Remove jars and
place upright on a towel. Cool completely. If jar does not seal, it must be refrigerated.
Enjoy the mint jelly with lamb, pork,
pancakes, muffins or biscuits.
©
2017 by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All
scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
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