Tag Archives: people to avoid

Proverbs 23:1-3 When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: 2 And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. 3 Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Jesus often used exaggeration (also called hyperbole or overstatement) to shock or wake up His listeners to a Biblical truth. For instance, in:

Matthew 5:29-30 (ESV) If your RIGHT EYE CAUSES YOU TO SIN, TEAR IT OUT and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into HELL. 30 And if your RIGHT HAND CAUSES YOU TO SIN, CUT IT OFF and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into HELL.

Does Jesus actually expect you to rip out your eye, or cut off your hand? No. But Jesus was imparting to the crowd the horror that is sin, and the horror that unconfessed and unrepented sin can bring us to. Sin is not a small thing, but a big barrier. The “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). It would be horrible to rip out an eye, or cut off a hand. As horrendous as the pain is – or even the thought of doing it – the ripped out eye or cut off hand is but temporary pain. You can get over it. BUT HELL IS FOREVER TORMENT, forever separation from God. My commentary notes:

“Jesus uses vivid imagery to convey the gravity of sin, urging His followers to take drastic measures to avoid temptation and sin. The disciples hang on his every word, grappling with the radical nature of his teachings and the call to live a life of holiness and purity. The scene is a powerful reminder of the transformative impact of Jesus’ words and the profound depth of His love and grace.”

In another case Jesus told His followers:

John 6:53-58 (HCSB) Jesus said to them, I assure you: UNLESS YOU EAT THE FLESH OF THE SON OF MAN AND DRINK HIS BLOOD, YOU DO NOT HAVE LIFE IN YOURSELVES. 54 Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day, 55 because My flesh is real food and My blood is real drink. 56 The one who eats My flesh and drinks My blood lives in Me, and I in him. 57 Just as the living Father sent Me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the manna your fathers ate—and they died. The one who eats this bread will live forever.

Did Jesus expect His disciples to cannibalize Him? No. But what He was saying was being saved is more than mere acknowledgment of Jesus – He must be an intimate part of your life. Continue reading →