Ancient Words Ever True

“Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love, Where there is injury, pardon; Where there is doubt, faith; Where there is despair, hope; Where there is darkness, light; And where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.” ― St. Francis of Assisi

Whereas we (Christians) have been taught that ALL scripture is God-breathed, and so should be equally accepted, we will do ourselves a lot of good if we pay a little more attention to the very words of Jesus. Jehovah has told us, “This [Jesus] is My beloved Son with Whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him (Matt. 17:5);” so it is to our own peril if we fail to be very conversant with the very words of Jesus – irrespective of how well we know other portions of scripture. We want to draw attention to one of Jesus’ several words. In Matthew 21:31b, Jesus said [to them], “truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the harlots will get into the kingdom of heaven before you.” (AMP) Before we look into the context of these words, we want to highlight a point: that tax-collectors and harlots are regarded among the Jews as the worst of sinners. So Jesus was telling His hearers in essence that these people they regard as the worst of men will get into the kingdom of heaven before them – if they ...