“this is a hard saying; who can understand it?…From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more .” John 6:60,66
In a recent posting, I focused on the gracious words spoken by our Lord. To give biblical balance and to present another way that Jesus spoke, I present the following:
Jesus spoke severe words to hypocrites….“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Matt.23:13. Jesus repeats this in verses 14,15,16,23,25,27and29. He also called them serpents and a brood of vipers! Our Lord had his strongest words of condemnation for religious people who did not practice what they preached. They were the worst kind of frauds. He called them fools, blind and whitewashed tombs.
Our Lord had harsh words also for cities who ignored His miracles and refused to repent. “Woe to you , Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida!…And you Capernaum..will be brought down to Hades…” Matt. 11:21, 23.
Finally, one of the most disturbing statements that Jesus ever made is recorded in Matt.7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord ‘ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'” Obviously, it is possible to look and act and practice like a genuine disciple and still not truly know Him. Sobering, indeed!
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