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Today's Quote
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Today's Verse
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Daily Wisdom
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In Matthew 12, we read that the Pharisees wanted to destroy Jesus. Their excuse was that he broke the Sabbath laws. While it was true that he broke the law of rest, he did so that he might bring healing to a man with a withered hand.
When criticized by the Pharisees, Jesus reminded them that they, too, sometimes broke the law of rest. He noted that if a Pharisee's sheep fell into a pit, the Pharisee would pull it out, even on the Sabbath. The implication was that the sheep represented something of value to the Pharisee -- something he did not wish to lose.
Jesus' point was that those same men who would take care of a sheep because of the value of the sheep refused to take care of a neighbor because they did not value him. We might suppose that if the child or friend of a Pharisee fell into a pit or met with some similar misfortune, the Pharisee would have lent a hand. The problem with Jesus' healing was that the man with a withered hand was not valued by the Pharisees.
Jesus, on the other hand, valued the crippled or sick. Jesus was a man of compassion and love for all men. He did not reserve his help for his friends and family, but reached out to all who were in need.
Over the years I have watched as members of our fellowship have mellowed when one close to them has transgressed. When a grown child makes a mistake the parents view that situation with a great deal more compassion than when viewing the error of a stranger.
Whether parents forgive or not, they generally consider the circumstances more carefully when a loved one is involved. They tend to be less prone to judge when they are close to the one who has fallen. It appears to me that this compassion and hesitancy to judge is a Christian virtue. Jesus had such love for mankind that he never callously judged anyone. He once said, "For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him" (John 3:17).
