The Text: Matthew 5:38-48.
You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on (your) right cheek, turn the other one to him as well. If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic, hand him your cloak as well. Should anyone press you into service for one mile, go with him for two miles. Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.
----------------------
My Reading Notes
----------------------
I think this is the most difficult part in the theories of Christianity. Things had to be understood internally, not externally. You must fight devils, or else, devil will bring us to hell. But, you must love your enemies.
Are enemies devils? That remains only part of the question.
Some enemies are devils, some are not. Some of the enemies are only our competitor, or some one who took advantages of us.
Only the real devil would take us all to total destruction.
If you can see things from the true side, not the external side, you will know what to do. And we need to have a cool cool mind, and a real understanding, to handle such issues.
And the delicate point is here: What is truth? Do I know what is truth? Can I judge what is right and what is wrong?
All I can say is that, I can judge them from my own level of understanding, though I know the ultimate truth is in God's own hand, however, I will do what is necessary and I do hope God will bless the right choices, if I am wrong, I am willing to be punished.
2011年2月20日 星期日
2011年2月12日 星期六
Could we explore the depths of God?
My Sunday Scripture 2011.2.13.
The Text:
Reading 1: Matthew 5:17-37
'Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them.
In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved.
Therefore, anyone who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but the person who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven.
'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.
'You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court.
But I say this to you, anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it before the court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool" will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer for it in hell fire.
So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering.
Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.
'You have heard how it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say this to you, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye should be your downfall, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body thrown into hell.
And if your right hand should be your downfall, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body go to hell.
'It has also been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal.
But I say this to you, everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of an illicit marriage, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
'Again, you have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord.
But I say this to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God's throne;
or by earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black.
All you need say is "Yes" if you mean yes, "No" if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the Evil One.
---------------------------------------------------
Reading 2, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
But still, to those who have reached maturity, we do talk of a wisdom, not, it is true, a philosophy of this age or of the rulers of this age, who will not last long now.
It is of the mysterious wisdom of God that we talk, the wisdom that was hidden, which God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began.
None of the rulers of the age recognised it; for if they had recognised it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
but it is as scripture says: What no eye has seen and no ear has heard, what the mind of man cannot visualise; all that God has prepared for those who love him;
to us, though, God has given revelation through the Spirit, for the Spirit explores the depths of everything, even the depths of God.
-------------------
My Reading Notes:
-------------------
This is a bold finding from Paul: That there will be no secret between human and God, for the Spirit had granted us revelation, to explore the depths of God.
In such sense, that means God had given the truth. The question is that whether we believe it or not, or that whether we are smart enough to comprehend
The Text:
Reading 1: Matthew 5:17-37
'Do not imagine that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete them.
In truth I tell you, till heaven and earth disappear, not one dot, not one little stroke, is to disappear from the Law until all its purpose is achieved.
Therefore, anyone who infringes even one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be considered the least in the kingdom of Heaven; but the person who keeps them and teaches them will be considered great in the kingdom of Heaven.
'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.
'You have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You shall not kill; and if anyone does kill he must answer for it before the court.
But I say this to you, anyone who is angry with a brother will answer for it before the court; anyone who calls a brother "Fool" will answer for it before the Sanhedrin; and anyone who calls him "Traitor" will answer for it in hell fire.
So then, if you are bringing your offering to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
leave your offering there before the altar, go and be reconciled with your brother first, and then come back and present your offering.
Come to terms with your opponent in good time while you are still on the way to the court with him, or he may hand you over to the judge and the judge to the officer, and you will be thrown into prison.
In truth I tell you, you will not get out till you have paid the last penny.
'You have heard how it was said, You shall not commit adultery.
But I say this to you, if a man looks at a woman lustfully, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If your right eye should be your downfall, tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body thrown into hell.
And if your right hand should be your downfall, cut it off and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body go to hell.
'It has also been said, Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a writ of dismissal.
But I say this to you, everyone who divorces his wife, except for the case of an illicit marriage, makes her an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
'Again, you have heard how it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but must fulfil your oaths to the Lord.
But I say this to you, do not swear at all, either by heaven, since that is God's throne;
or by earth, since that is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, since that is the city of the great King.
Do not swear by your own head either, since you cannot turn a single hair white or black.
All you need say is "Yes" if you mean yes, "No" if you mean no; anything more than this comes from the Evil One.
---------------------------------------------------
Reading 2, 1 Corinthians 2:6-10
But still, to those who have reached maturity, we do talk of a wisdom, not, it is true, a philosophy of this age or of the rulers of this age, who will not last long now.
It is of the mysterious wisdom of God that we talk, the wisdom that was hidden, which God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began.
None of the rulers of the age recognised it; for if they had recognised it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory;
but it is as scripture says: What no eye has seen and no ear has heard, what the mind of man cannot visualise; all that God has prepared for those who love him;
to us, though, God has given revelation through the Spirit, for the Spirit explores the depths of everything, even the depths of God.
-------------------
My Reading Notes:
-------------------
This is a bold finding from Paul: That there will be no secret between human and God, for the Spirit had granted us revelation, to explore the depths of God.
In such sense, that means God had given the truth. The question is that whether we believe it or not, or that whether we are smart enough to comprehend
2011年2月6日 星期日
We are what we are
My Sunday Scripture 2011.2.6.
The Text: Matthew 5:13-16.
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
---------------------------
My Reading Notes:
---------------------------
This is one of the best analogy to tell us what is life.
You are salt. The nature of salt is its taste. If a salt loses its taste, then it is not salt at all. The same may apply to other things. You are sugar. You are a tree. You are a flower. The myth is that we are what we are. Only human beings have such problems. Sometimes we forget what we are. A tree never forgets. Salt never forget. Animals never forget. They would grow, they would shine, they would live like themselves. Only human being sometimes would forget. We forget that we are light, we can shine and we should shine. Some times we tend to think that we are only wax. Like candles never lit.
The Text: Matthew 5:13-16.
You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its taste, with what can it be seasoned? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father.
---------------------------
My Reading Notes:
---------------------------
This is one of the best analogy to tell us what is life.
You are salt. The nature of salt is its taste. If a salt loses its taste, then it is not salt at all. The same may apply to other things. You are sugar. You are a tree. You are a flower. The myth is that we are what we are. Only human beings have such problems. Sometimes we forget what we are. A tree never forgets. Salt never forget. Animals never forget. They would grow, they would shine, they would live like themselves. Only human being sometimes would forget. We forget that we are light, we can shine and we should shine. Some times we tend to think that we are only wax. Like candles never lit.
訂閱：
文章 (Atom)