Thursday, June 22, 2017

What Gives You The Right? Matthew 21:23-27 NLT

How we love to judge people. We do it every day. We may not even realize we're doing it. A quick thought, a slight remark. Why do we do it? Does it benefit anyone? Does it benefit us? Maybe it makes us feel superior, better more "together". Does it benefit the person we are judging? Most of the time they don't know we are even noticing them. The guy on the street corner, the lady in the check out line, the run down house and it's occupants as we drive by.

What gives us the right to judge them? Isn't there really one who is worthy to judge? How will He judge me? How will He judge you? We pray it will be with compassion, we pray He will show mercy,  we know it will be just.

Maybe, we should follow suite on the compassion and mercy part. Maybe next time we catch ourselves judging, we should pray for them (and ourselves) instead. Because, really, we do not have the right.

Matthew 21:23-27 NLT

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to Him. They demanded, “By what authority are You doing all these things? Who gave You the right?”

24 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied.  25 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, He will ask us why we didn’t believe John.  26 But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.”  27 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things. "

Blessings, Cecilia

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