Slideshow image

Scripture for the day: Matthew 5:43-47 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?
Thought for the day: Jesus was just about the most radical person the world had ever seen (He still is, now that I think about it).  Can you imagine what the people must have thought when He began to teach?  Let’s remember, those who heard him were proud members of a proud nation with a long heritage of having been “God’s chosen people.”  Over the years they’d become prideful in their own estimation of their worth.  In fact, they’d become so prideful they’d failed to fulfill the purpose for which the Lord had chosen them in the first place; to share His revelation of Himself with the world.  Even the poorest of the children of Israel was “better than” the best of the “Gentiles” in his or her own eyes.  And the Romans didn’t help, having taken over the country and treating the Jews the way they did.  Add into the mix the fact the all the surrounding peoples hated the Jews passionately and you have the perfect ingredients for drawing tightly together in an us-against-them mentality and a strong hatred for all those outside the group.   
Suddenly this Jesus comes along and begins to preach love for the hated Romans, love for the despised Samaritans, love for those who hate you and don’t mind showing it.  What is one to do with a teacher like that?  How is one supposed to respond to those kinds of alien ideas?  How were they to respond?  How was he to teach them the lesson of love they so desperately needed?  Here’s how one teacher did it:
        An elementary school teacher decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato would be given the name of a person that the child hated, so the number of potatoes that a child would put in his/her plastic bag would depend on the number of people he/she hated.  So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some 3, while some had up to 5 potatoes.
The teacher then told the children to carry the potatoes with them in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet)for one week. Day after day passed, and the children started to complain due to the added weight of the potatoes and unpleasant smell let out by them as they began to spoil (as rotten potatoes are likely to do).  Those children having 5 potatoes really began to feel the weight of the heavier bags. After one week, the children were relieved to hear that the teacher had finally ended the game. The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for this past week?" The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they went.
        Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart and you will end up carrying an unnecessary burden with you wherever you go.  If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what a burden it would be to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime???"  Forgiving others is the best attitude to take! Love others, even if you don't like them...
Now go take on your world.  -  Bill