Day 14: If the doors of perception were cleansed...
27 February, Day 14: Mathew 23: 1-12
A clockwork type monotony has set-in - a comforting sort of consistency. As one day spills into the other, and then merges to become the next one, the morning hour is slow and still, followed by the rest of the day which turns out to be a passing blur.
Yet each morning hour feels a little different, as I come to silently grapple with new truths and aspects of Christianity that I hadn't considered or taken seriously or delved into too deeply before. Until now, I've always heard things through one ear, and out it goes through the other. Don't we tend to do the same with well-meaning relatives or friends who come with us with unsolicited 'advice' of any sort?
This displays a lack of humility, a stubborn belief that 'I know best'. We are indifferent, we can't be bothered to listen, we briefly 'hear' the words or at the most, we make honest attempts to listen, but still go back to being the same.
"I know best" = lack of humility = inability to look beyond ourselves = self-limiting = selfishness.
But, we simply don't know everything do we? Most of us operate within the limited box of ourselves.
"The Doors", one of my favourite bands were named, inspired by following quote by Aldous Huxley. I remember feeling quite awed by it, and thought it was "very cool" at the time. Here it comes back to me again.
"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern."
Today's verse is from Mathew 23 1:12 :
"Whoever makes himself great, will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great."
Thoughts: If you read the verse, you'll easily understand that Jesus was warning against the hypocrisy of the teachers (of the Law, which is God's Law) at the time. He said to follow what they were saying but not their actions. As their actions didn't match their preaching. They do things just so that other people think they are good. They craved and demanded importance, authority, respect and recognition. Basically, it boils down to pride and self-importance.
Which of us is not this way really?! We all say things we can't really follow ourselves, we wan't to change the other person, without really changing ourselves. No matter what our jobs are, we all want to be treated with respect and importance. It's just the human way.
Jesus says he has a problem with all of these only when you place this need for importance, authority and respect above God. So, the lesson here is to give up your pride, your ego, your sense of self, your hangups, if you choose to get a sense of something infinitely more powerful than you.
Takeaway: You take the first step instead of waiting for the other person to say it or do it (be humbled).
A clockwork type monotony has set-in - a comforting sort of consistency. As one day spills into the other, and then merges to become the next one, the morning hour is slow and still, followed by the rest of the day which turns out to be a passing blur.
Yet each morning hour feels a little different, as I come to silently grapple with new truths and aspects of Christianity that I hadn't considered or taken seriously or delved into too deeply before. Until now, I've always heard things through one ear, and out it goes through the other. Don't we tend to do the same with well-meaning relatives or friends who come with us with unsolicited 'advice' of any sort?
This displays a lack of humility, a stubborn belief that 'I know best'. We are indifferent, we can't be bothered to listen, we briefly 'hear' the words or at the most, we make honest attempts to listen, but still go back to being the same.
"I know best" = lack of humility = inability to look beyond ourselves = self-limiting = selfishness.
But, we simply don't know everything do we? Most of us operate within the limited box of ourselves.
"The Doors", one of my favourite bands were named, inspired by following quote by Aldous Huxley. I remember feeling quite awed by it, and thought it was "very cool" at the time. Here it comes back to me again.
"If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern."
Today's verse is from Mathew 23 1:12 :
"Whoever makes himself great, will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be made great."
Thoughts: If you read the verse, you'll easily understand that Jesus was warning against the hypocrisy of the teachers (of the Law, which is God's Law) at the time. He said to follow what they were saying but not their actions. As their actions didn't match their preaching. They do things just so that other people think they are good. They craved and demanded importance, authority, respect and recognition. Basically, it boils down to pride and self-importance.
Which of us is not this way really?! We all say things we can't really follow ourselves, we wan't to change the other person, without really changing ourselves. No matter what our jobs are, we all want to be treated with respect and importance. It's just the human way.
Jesus says he has a problem with all of these only when you place this need for importance, authority and respect above God. So, the lesson here is to give up your pride, your ego, your sense of self, your hangups, if you choose to get a sense of something infinitely more powerful than you.
Takeaway: You take the first step instead of waiting for the other person to say it or do it (be humbled).
Comments
Post a Comment