Today’s verse: 1 Peter 2: 1- 3
1. Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2. as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Scripture: 5: 21 – 32
In this passage, Jesus Christ diverts from the common understanding of the law of God and gives a new approach to it. He did not teach the words but instead, He taught His expectations. He shares His expectations on three different areas which are relationships, disciplined life, and family life.
Relationships (verse 21 -26):
A brotherly relationship is essential. God tells us not to give importance to any kind of emotions that will beak a brotherly relationship. He tells that He will never acknowledge any gift or offering from a person who has a problem with his/her siblings. As a human, we have a lot of emotions like anger, jealousy, irritation and so on. But God expects us to guard the relationships that He has given in our lives by not giving importance to those emotions. Giving importance to our emotions and spoiling a relationship is compared to murder in this passage. That is because we all know what Cain did to Abel. Today take time in examining your relationship with others and renew it.
Disciplined life (verse 27 – 30):
Today’s world relates discipline with our outward actions. But God relates it with our inner feelings. When we don’t control what we see and how we see, that will ruin our discipline. To have control over what we choose to see, God calls us to make determined decisions in verses 29 and 30.
29. “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
30. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
Let us not defile our heart through our sight!
Family (verse 31 – 32):
God does not permit anyone to defile the system that He has created. In the world which gives importance to “individuality”, divorce has become more common especially in Christian families. Divorce is taken very lightly by many Christians today. But verses 31 and 32 clearly states that God is against it. What we could do is wait upon God in finding the right girl/guy and get God’s confirmation before making that “big decision” in our life. We should be prudent enough to guard our family relationship. We should not give place for reasons like money, ego, misunderstanding to break our family life.
Remember,
Christianity is a lifestyle that builds relationships.
Father,
Use me today to build happy relationships and follow the law of God through a disciplined life. Amen!