Roger Meyer

When I was young, “He who…” jokes were popular. For example: "He who runs in front of a car gets tired; he who runs behind a car gets exhausted." Or this one: "He who leaps over a cliff jumps to a conclusion."

As a child, I found these amusing, though not particularly wise. 

I later learned that the Bible has many truly wise sayings, and by studying the scriptures about “He who” we can become wiser. Let’s look at a few examples.

Cupidity is acquisitiveness, avarice, covetousness, or simply greed. We need money to buy necessities, but the question is, “Just how much money is enough?”

We need food, clothing, and shelter to sustain life. There are other “necessities” in this modern age: transportation, communication, education, health care, etc. We also have wants that enhance our well-being. We can enjoy material things in a balanced way.

In the latter half of the 1950s, there was a television program called “Father Knows Best.” It was “squeaky clean” and wholesome compared to most of today’s programming. The father, named Jim Anderson, portrayed knowledge and thoughtful wisdom in advising and guiding his family.

Watching news reports, one could easily say that the rising level of hateful behavior is appalling! A United States representative called for harassing public officials of the opposing political party. A restaurant owner refused to serve a government official, while others refused to serve police. Hollywood actors and comedians say threatening, vile, and disgusting things against political leaders and their family members, stunning our sensibilities! Sadly, some applaud and cheer these rants rather than soundly condemning such behavior.

Everybody loves a freshly harvested apple, peach, orange, grape, strawberry, or other piece of produce. Gardeners wait with anticipation to harvest that first ripe tomato. When fruit is fully ripened and at the peak of flavor, the time for harvest has finally arrived.