Is It Goose vs Gander?

Here is a humorous (but sadly true) example of the liberal left’s hypocrisy in the mandate to be vaccinated.  Check out this restaurant exchange between the establishment’s hostess and a patron—

Hostess: Hello.

Patron: Hi, table for two, please.

Hostess: Sure, and your name.

Patron: Tracy

Hostess: Great.  And do you and your guest have your vaccination cards?

Patron: We do.  Can you tell us who our server will be?

Hostess: Um, looks like Tom will be your server tonight.

Patron: Great.  Can you show us Tom’s vaccination card?

Hostess: Um...

Patron: And also, can you provide me with proof that Tom is not a carrier of HIV, Hepatitis A or B, or any other communicable diseases such as VD?

Hostess: Um...

Patron: Also, we would prefer not to be served by someone who is on or uses recreational drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, meth, fentanyl, etc., so if you could provide us with Tom’s most recent tox screen, that would be great.

Hostess: Um... Let me get the manager for you.

Patron: That would be great, thanks.

We’ve all heard the saying: “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”  A gander is a male goose.  So, we have a male and female goose.  The idea is: If it is good for one then it is good for the other.  Fairness is implied in that one should get similar treatment as the other.

I thought of that statement as I read this Bible text: “And they asked Him, ‘Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?’  And He said to them, ‘Elijah does come first to restore all things.  And how is it written of the Son of Man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?  But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him’” (Mark 9:11-13).

Jesus had just reminded the disciples that He would rise from the dead.  They didn’t understand it.  They had just seen Elijah with Him on the mountain, and they didn’t understand that either.  Rather than asking about His suffering/death/resurrection, they chose to ask Him about Elijah because they were remembering prophecy from the Old Testament (Malachi 4:5-6).

Jesus answers their question (Elijah does come first and has come), but throws in this statement that is vital: “And how is it written that the Son of Man that He should suffer many things and be treated with contempt?”  You see, the disciples were willing to understand Old Testament Prophecy about Elijah but were not yet willing to understand Old Testament Prophecy to understand about the suffering of Jesus.  He is pointing this out to them.  If Prophecy is good for Elijah then it is good for Jesus too.  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.

Many times, we take some of Scripture and hang onto it but reject something right next to it because we don’t like it.  It just doesn’t work that way.  We take the good with the difficult and we take the commands with the promises.  

Are there parts of the Bible that you ignore or run from?  Do you use it like an A La Carte Menu— taking only what you prefer for the day?  

As you grow this new year, learn to accept the ‘full council’ of God in His Word.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel