This comical surgery in the first verses is designed to illustrate perspective. No one could have a log in their eye, it is simply a matter of perspective. The standard (log, yard-stick, or sliver -- depending on your perspective) with which you judge is the same that will be used on you. The point is to be humble and care for your own soul, not to ignore your brother.
I love the "How much more. . ." statements about God. This makes it clear to me that I ask far too little of God! I need to change my assumptions and expect Him to be good to me! I wish that was my default, but it often isn't.
It is one thing for the gate to be narrow, but why does the way need to be hard?
The passage about fruit-bearing is one of the most significant warnings in all the Bible. I've noticed in gardening that bad plants don't bear good fruit. Here Jesus says that's true AND that good trees can't bear bad fruit!
How do people prophesy and do miracles in Jesus' name without truly being his. Seems like bad trees bearing good fruit.
Doing Christ's words is the firm foundation, not just knowing them. Knowing them and not doing them is building on sand.
1 comment:
I wonder too how people can do miracles in Jesus' name, and yet He does not consider them to be His.
Verse 21 says, "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." This passage confuses me somewhat, because I was taught to believe that salvation is a free gift, not dependent upon works, "lest any man should boast".
The only thing that comes to mind is 1. It is God's will for us to come to a saving faith through our Lord Jesus, and 2. the fruit that we bear is evidence of the Holy Spirit within us. He helps us conform to His image.
But what about all those other people? Are they charlatans? Do you think they are caught by surprise at the Lord's response? How do we know that we're the Lord's and not one of them? Is it the Spirit that "bears witness" inside us?
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