Thought for the Day - Tuesday 8 September

 Thought for the Day – Tuesday 8^th September

‘If your right eye is your weak spot, pluck it out and throw it away; ii is preferable for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand is your weak spot, cut it off and throw it away; it is preferable for you to lose one part of your body than for the whole of it to go to hell.’ (Matthew 5: 29-30)

 

I thought they had done a good job as always!

 

The mechanics had serviced my car, replaced all that needed replacing, airbag sensor was fixed (at great cost!) and the M.O.T. was passed and I was all set to get on the road again!

 

Yet, the first day I drove my car again and ‘wham!’ there was that warning light for my airbag glaring back at me once more!

 

So back to the garage I go today to try and get it sorted out only to discover they are as puzzled as me and they will need to seek advice too - so more investigation needs to be done and I am sure it will all get sorted out!

 

Anyway, hence my late posting today!

 

However, I think my experience today can help us to understand a little better this passage from Matthew’s gospel where Jesus during his Sermon on the Mount offered us these puzzling words.

 

We have to ask ourselves would any of us really mutilate ourselves in the way Jesus is suggesting if we felt a particular part of our body was a weak spot. I sincerely hope not, for actually what Jesus is using here is hyperbole – exaggeration – a device many rabbis use – even to this day - to get their point across to their listeners – Jesus wants us to know that this is an important point he is making.

 

He is saying weaknesses have to be conquered, whether that is our own weaknesses or a weaknesses within the whole fellowship. Jesus is saying that you cannot just paper over any cracks and hope that is the job done – you actually have to tackle the root cause of any problem, the root cause of any weakness and then actually do something about it – if you don’t then that weakness or problem will inevitably resurface.

 

So it is not different parts of our body we need to be cutting out just because we deem them a weak spot but rather those things in our lives which expose our weaknesses and problems – the root causes and do something about them.

 

Really, if we don’t get to those root causes each time – then for all our good intentions we will always have trouble for we can be guaranteed they will always resurface.

 

I sincerely think the mechanics thought they had fixed my airbag problem, but obviously it has not been the root problem. I certainly hope after taking that advice from their technical team that the mechanics will now be able to get to the root problem of my airbag sensor and fix it, for then it truly will be sorted out and will never resurface!

 

Prayer

 

Loving Lord,

Through the experiences of our lives, enable our hearts and minds to more fully understand
your word, your goodness and your grace. Help us break free from ideas that no longer bring life,
that we may embrace the life-giving work of your Spirit. Challenge us to forsake paths that ask little of us, and help us resist the evils and temptations of this world, that we may truly follow the way of kingdom living. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.