by Don Emmitte |
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Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they
can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal.
Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or
rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is,
there your heart and thoughts will also be. Your eye is a lamp for your
body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul. But an evil eye shuts out
the light and plunges you into darkness. If the light you think you have
is really darkness, how deep that darkness will be! No one can serve two
masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one
and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
(Matthew 6:19-24 NLV). There are
many common phrases and expressions that we use in our language that are
“oxymorons.” The
definition of an oxymoron is a “two-word phrase containing contradictory
elements." “Good grief” is an example of such a phrase. There are
many of these. Here are some more:
There are also religious oxymorons. One of the most common is the term "lukewarm Christian." These are two words that just don't go together. Jesus was very clear in his words to the Laodecian Christians when He said, "...because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth" (Cf. Revelation 3:16). In our reading today there is a clear indication we are to be very single-minded in our allegiance to Christ as the only Master of our lives. This doesn't mean that we are perfect Christians (in fact, "Perfect Christian" is an oxymoron in itself). It just means that when we come to Christ, we must be willing to give him our whole selves, not just part of ourselves. When Jesus comes into your life, he can't become "one more thing." Instead, he wants to take over. What kind of Christian life are you committed to today? |
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