Mornings are my time to spend with Jesus. I long to get to know Him better. I want to know what He Himself teaches. I can think of no better way than to actually read His own words. Lately, I’ve been spending time in the Gospels, specifically, the book of Matthew. This morning, I noticed Jesus spoke a four-word phrase six times in Matthew 5: “But I tell you…”
Have you ever sought out someone’s advice to gain more understanding about the Bible, Jesus, or His ways? I have. Many times. I’ve gained a lot of help too. But then there are times I’ve heard humans say things that are not in sync with Jesus’ ways.
Surely the world’s ways are not in sync with Jesus’ ways. In fact, when I intentionally seek out Jesus’ real words, I discover the things He tells us can be quite different than what the world tells us. And Jesus Himself acknowledges that we hear things said that are not quite right.
This is the message in Matthew 5:21-48 that I discovered today. Six times in this passage Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said…But I tell you…”
Whoa! If this isn’t a call to read the Bible for ourselves, I don’t know what is! Friends, we hear a lot of stuff all day long, but are we “hearing” what Jesus Himself says?
I plead with you. Don’t just always take someone else’s word on what God’s Word says or means. Be intentional to seek it out yourself. Read the Bible yourself. Read Jesus’ words yourself. Go to the source yourself.
After all, you may just discover Jesus Himself has something to tell you that the world won’t.
Amen!