The hard saying, Not the Righteous but sinners, was used by Jesus when asked by the Pharisees the reason as to why he ate and drank with the tax collectors who were seen as sinners. "I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance" (Luke 5:33, The New International Version Bible). The saying means that, those who healthier do not need a doctor but only the sick. Jesus came for the lost (sinners) to restore them into the kingdom of God and not the righteous who has an idea about the kingdom of God (Bartholomew, Green, & Thiselton 2005). The saying teaches me not to look down upon the sinners, but I should treat them with love and show them the right way. It also teaches me that I should not only associate with the righteous but also the sinners. The saying communicates to the churches and the world at large that they should not shun away from sinners neither should they judge them but they should preach to them and interact with them to bring them closer to God.
Chapter 11: Plucking out the right eye.
The hard saying means that we should value the eternal things more, and the physical and temporal distractions should not deceive us. "And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell" (Mark 9:47, The New International Version Bible). This saying teaches me to keep my heart and ways straight with God and not to let any physical or temporal distractions sway me from the kingdom of God. I should make sure my heart is safe with God, and not even the amputation of any part of my body should deny me a chance with God. According to Hendriksen and Kistemaker (1975), the church and the world at large should transform to God with all their heart and put away the love of money and wealth that are derailing them from searching the kingdom of God.
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Chapter 18: If You do not Forgive Your Brother.
This saying emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, especially if wronged by a brother. A brother here means anyone you associate with in one way or the other. "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35, The New International Version Bible). Forgiveness is divine because it gives us the inner peace of mind and purity of the heart. Forgiveness helps us to make peace with God and men and hence, peaceful and harmonious coexistence with one another (Nolland, 2005). In our churches and the world today, forgiveness should be emphasized to promote peace.
Reference
Bartholomew, C. G., Green, J. B., & Thiselton, A. C. (Eds.). (2005). Reading Luke: Interpretation, Reflection, Formation (Vol. 6). Zondervan.
Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. (1975). New Testament Commentary: Mark (Vol. 10). Baker Publishing Group.
Nolland, J. (2005). The gospel of Matthew (Vol. 1). Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.
