Lincoln’s So-Called Cow (a Steve Orr Lectionary reflection)

I never saw a Purple Cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I'd rather see than be one.

I grew up hearing my Dad quote that poem. Even as a small child, a purple cow seemed unlikely. Later, I heard of another unlikely cow.

The tale goes something like this: Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas —candidates for the same U.S. Senate seat— were debating. At one point, Lincoln thought Douglas was intentionally misinterpreting Lincoln's words so he could win over the audience.

Lincoln asks Douglas, "How many legs has a cow?"

Douglas replies, "Four, of course.”

Lincoln agrees, and then asks, "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?"

Douglas replies, "Why, five, of course.”

"Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln. "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."

This tale may or may not be a true. There are different versions out there, not all of which involved Lincoln, and not all of which involved a cow.

Still, the story makes a valid point. Just because someone says something is so doesn't necessarily make it so. Likewise, just because someone claims to be quoting from the Bible doesn't mean they are. And, even if they are honestly attempting to quote scripture, it doesn’t mean that they are doing so accurately. Finally, even if someone is accurately quoting scripture, it doesn't mean that they are applying it correctly.

That leads me to Psalm 91 in this week’s Lectionary scriptures. Satan famously quotes from Psalm 91 while attempting to subjugate Jesus in the wilderness:

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: "'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’" (Matthew 4:5-7 NIV)

The next time someone throws Scripture at you, particularly if they’re trying to get you to do what they want, pause a moment and recall Satan's misuse of Psalm 91. Sadly, people do twist others' words to their own purpose. If that happens, we must react wisely.

Remember Lincoln's cow.

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A version of this reflection appeared in October 2012 as Lincoln’s Cow.
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Purple Cow poem: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Cow
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PHOTO (and an interesting article about “Purple Cow Marketing”): https://www.authormedia.com/are-you-a-purple-cow/

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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Proper 24 (29) (October 21, 2018)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//

Job 38:1-7, (34-41)
Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c
Isaiah 53:4-12
Psalm 91:9-16
Hebrews 5:1-10
Mark 10:35-45
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We would love for you to join us Friday morning for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast. We meet at 8:00 at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant. We have a prayer, we read and discuss scripture from the week's Lectionary passages, and we eat some tasty food.

Did I mention the laughing?

Enjoy the week!
Steve