Title: The Wisdom of Living Together
Text: Matthew 7:1-5
Date: 2007. 7. 29. Sunday Day Worship
A company gave the following test questions: On a windy and windy night, I was driving a car that could fit only one more person, and I was driving past the bus stop, and there were three people standing there. An almost dying grandmother, a doctor who saved your life before, and the woman of your dreams, who would you ride? One person was chosen, beating out numerous competitors. His answer is this. Giving the car key to the doctor, taking the dying grandmother to the hospital, and waiting for the bus with the woman of his ideal type, and then riding it together. By doing this, you will be able to repay a doctor who has saved a life before, save your dying grandmother, and not miss your ideal woman. (The above is the story from the movie “Sixteen Blocks”) The wisdom that can be learned from the answers given by the finalists is the wisdom of living together.
These days we are seeing “ignorance to die together.” Self-destruction terrorism by Islamic extremists, mutual slander of presidential candidates, etc. How are we? We must live together. to live together...
First, you have to cover your words (verses 1-2).
“When they were sick, I afflicted my soul with sackcloth and fasting, and my prayer was returned to my bosom” (Psalm 35:13). When someone suffers misfortune, it takes an attitude of suffering together. Even people who do not feel good with me need an attitude of suffering together. Even if we have different religions, we need an attitude of suffering together. Even if the interpretation is different from mine, we need an attitude of suffering together. What I say comes back to me. Encouragement and consolation return, and slander and slander return. So, you have to hide your words.
Second, we must mirror each other (v. 3).
If there is a speck in your brother's eye, there is a beam in my eye. As you look at the speck in your brother's eye, you must realize the beam in your own eye. We look out through the window. But I must not only look out, but also see myself reflected in the window. “Some of them grumbled and perished with the destroyer; do not grumble like them. These things that happened to them are a mirror, and they are written as our watchfulness in the face of the last days” (1 Corinthians 10:10-11). We must use the incident of the Israelites' destruction while grumbling in the wilderness as our mirror. We must use the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as our mirror. We must use the flood judgment in Noah's day as our mirror. Why does the Bible record these things? It is not written to be seen and enjoyed. It's not written to be offensive. It was written to be seen and used as a mirror. We too can perish if we live like that, so it is written that we should not live like that as a mirror.
I have to look at myself with the other person as a mirror. By looking at the faults of others, we must see our own faults. In addition, we must face the challenge of faith by looking at people of sincere faith. Because his appearance is my future self. Whether it's positive or negative in others, use it as a mirror.
Third, I must try to change myself first (verses 4-5).