As Paul neared the end of his life, he offered that life as a testimony to Timothy. All that he had accom-plished and suffered was for the sake of the Gospel.

Timothy was urged to model his own life and min-istry on that of Paul. But there was something more: Paul had an answer to those who felt that the Old Testament was obsolete and no longer of use. He insist-ed that all scripture was inspired by God and suitable for moral and spiritual formation. Perhaps we can make a greater effort to model our lives on the examples and teachings given in Scripture.

Jesus upset some of his audience by insisting that he was far more than the Son of David. He used Scripture itself as proof that the Messiah could not be the Son of David. People often think that they under-stand the religious tradition thoroughly, but time and time again Jesus shows us that our understanding is shallow and partial.

It is always good to come before the Lord without thinking that we have him all figured out. The Lord always pulls away from any label we try to place on him. It is far better to let him do the teaching and us do the listening and learning. Being aware of how little we know and understand is the first step to enlightenment.