But in the End
Captain's Log: Table Time ~ Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 ~ Lauds
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, 4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
“Are we having Bible today, Dada?” Liam asked me at the table this morning. “Of course, son. We’re a little late, but I’ll read and pray.” We lingered this morning on the idea that sin looks good, tastes sweet (in the mouth), but is bitter, poisonous in the stomach. ‘We see this all the time, don’t we? Our flesh makes sin appear attractive to us, like it’s going to be good for us. But it’s a lie. It’s a trick! What’s something that looks tasty but is actually bitter?’ Lydia suggested a plum… This may have been a little harsh. I don't mind plums. It would be good to assemble a list of things that appear good and harmless, yet which turn out to be dangerous, even deadly.
We wondered about the sharpness of a two-edged sword. My first thought was that it can cut you at both ends, hence the danger. But then I wondered if the issue was that there was twice the blade, twice the sharpness. At any rate, it’s a dangerous sword. As is our sin, however harmlessly, or attractively it is dressed up.
I exhorted the children, therefore, to “be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion” (v1-2). We finished with a couple of run thoughts of questions 15-16 of the Catechism.
This sounds like it might take too long for breakfast before school. But this morning I was running late and still managed it. About 5 minutes on the Bible passage, a couple of minutes on the catechism, a minute in prayer, and away we went.