Most Well Known Verse
In years past, if you were to approach the average Joe or Jane on the street and ask them for a bible verse they would most likely reply with John 3:16, "For God so loved the world ...". But it seems that the tides have changed and that the same question today may more likely yield Matthew 7:1, "Judge not, that you be not judged." Why the change? What has caused this shift?
In speculating the spirit of the age, the move could certainly be noted from an awareness of our need for God's intervention in our lives (John 3:16) to a more general denial of any wrongdoing that require a savior (Matthew 7:1). While this may be an assessment of the spirit of the age, it is not an accurate interpretation of Jesus' intent in this part of the Sermon on the Mount. This Sunday we will be opening the first 12 verses of Matthew 7 in an attempt to understand what it is that Jesus is saying. As he continues to lay out a blueprint for life in the Kingdom, it appears that Jesus is giving some instruction for his followers on how to live in right relation to one another and to the broader world. While the words of this text are well known, our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will make their meaning clear to us as well!
Photo by James Coleman on Unsplash