February 21

Matthew 18:1-14 (Click to see scripture)

Bible in One Year Passages:

Journal Entry

Scripture

7 "Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

Observation

Jesus speaks about the nature of temptation in this passage. In it, He uses extreme examples of what needs to be done to overcome it. He says that it serves a purpose and is "necessary" and then proceeds to explain that it is preferable to lose body parts than get caught up in the trap of temptation as the end result of falling to temptation is worse than the loss of the body parts. Interestingly enough, He doesn't talk about avoiding temptation which is something that most people would prefer to do. Instead, He places the emphasis on struggling against it to the point of physical disability, indicating we should struggle against temptation with ever fiber of our being. Jesus recognizes that we are flawed and that we will experience temptation wherever we go. Despite the negative imagery, this passage is an encouragement to resist temptation in all its forms.

Application

I do not think we should purposely seek out temptation simply to test our ability to resist it. It exists not only in our surroundings but also in the quiet places of our thoughts when nothing else is around. Yet people think that they will be safe simply by avoiding tempation as if it is something that can be avoided in the first place. Instead, we should place our strength in resisting it, just as Jesus resisted temptation in the desert. Being fully immersed in the Word, drawing your strength upon God's wisdom is a large part of equipping yourself properly.

Prayer

Father, I pray that you give me diligence in studying your Word, in immersing myself in your guidance and equipping myself to face the trials of today.

--Charlie Jang