Wednesday, December 19, 2007

#13:Stupid-stitions and Other Providential Coincidences

Thirteen is supposed to be unlucky because Jesus had twelve Apostles, one of whom ratted Him out to the bad guys. Architects design buildings that don't have a Thirteenth Floor...ah, but is the Fourteenth REALLY the Thirteenth, even though we don't call it that?!!
How much creedence is there in that urban legend? Oh, since Jesus was born in a small town, should it be 'suburban' or 'rural' legend? Well, in any event, where the stupid-stition started doesn't matter. I just plan to draw some observations I've observed about Triskaidekaphobia since this is my Thirteenth Post!
Over the course of years, folks have made various Confessions and Catechisms and I've spotted a pattern that even shows up in the Bible, at least to my visionary eyesight. The Westminster Shorter Catechism talks about The Fall in #13...meaning EVERYBODY'S in trouble, The Larger Catechism talks about angels and men and says, '[God] has passed by and foreordained the rest to dishonor and wrath, to be for their sin inflicted'...bummer from double predestination, the Heidelberg Catechism #13 says we cannot make payment for our own sin so EVERYBODY'S up the creek, the Belgic Confession has The Fall @ #14 only because it had to address the Apocrypha earlier, and the Canons of Dordt #13 says that people who make light of God's commandments have no assurance of salvation, but walk towards the Pit rather consistently (my paraphrase).
What happened in the 13th chapter of Genesis, the start of the Bible? Lot decided to own real estate near Sodom and Gomorrah and got burned out...bummer. In the 13th chapter of Matthew, the start of the New Testament, Jesus tells a bunch of parables describing the Kingdom of Heaven vs. The Hot Place, as they say, and ends with, "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." I wonder what the original Greek is for 'bummer?'
Got vocabulary? More importantly, got belief in Jesus?

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