Over the years as I have had the privilege to share Jesus' good news with thousands of people, one of the things I have heard over and over is how !!!SHOCKED!!! they are to read Jesus' statements in Matthew 10 about how he "did not come to bring peace, but a sword", and that "a man's enemies will be the members of his own household." Hey, it is !!! SHOCKING !!!. After all , HE IS the Prince of Peace, or so Isaiah said, so we naturally don't expect him to say something so !!! SHOCKING !!!
Actually Jesus is quoting the OT prophet, Micah, who was simply reporting the social condition of his day. He even counseled his contemporaries to trust NO ONE! Jesus used Micah's words to highlight the battle that rages between the truth of God and how we humans tend to either interpret that truth or ignore it altogether. Yes, even in our families and among our closest friends.
Long before Jesus, Solomon wrote - "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him - (1) haughty (arrogant) eyes, (2) a lying (deceiving) tongue, (3) hands that shed innocent blood, (4) a heart that devises wicked schemes. (5) feet that are quick to rush into evil, (6) a false witness that pours out lies, and (7) a man/woman (troublemaker) who stirs up dissention among brothers." Prov 6:16-19
Those seven "things" should create an earthquake of self awareness in every human on the planet! If you take the time to go back and read them slowly and seriously think about your own thoughts and ways, surely at least one or two will strike a chord in your spirit. They involve the whole person, eyes, tongue, hands, heart and feet and conclude with the contentious spirit that does exactly what Jesus predicted!
To me, Solomon seems to be quoting his father, David, who wrote - "Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil. Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure." Psalm 101:4-5
David understood how serious this is and vowed to walk on a different path. ME TOO!
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