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Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.

Wait, didn’t Jesus come to bring “Peace on Earth, good will toward all men?” No, that’s a mistranslation of the Greek NT. The KJV says “Peace on earth, good will toward men.” but look it up in a modern translation, most of them say something like “on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” That’s a big difference. The difference is one letter in Greek. εὐδοκία is what’s known as the nominative form “good will” in general as the subject. But in the previous 400 years, we’ve found so many more (and older) manuscripts, we can better recreate what the original writings most likely said. The original Greek is the word εὐδοκίας. Do you see how similar that is? It’s very easy to see how someone who was copying the NT hundreds of years after it was written happened to leave of that final letter. εὐδοκίας (the original reading) is the genitive form meaning “of good will” describing the quality of the subject, not the subject itself. So in other words, the peace that the angels were talking about is a description of those characterized by being pleasing to God. The way we please God is by believing in His Son (see: Romans 5:1). So, did Jesus come to bring peace for the world? No. He came to offer peace for those who would surrender under His terms. Not peace at all costs. Put Jesus first, and it may cause issues with friends and family, but He’s worth it!

But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’

The good Samaritan is the good neighbor. He doesn’t mind his own business, keep to himself, or keep his head down… he makes a difference in the lives of the hurting. He attends to the immediate need that he had come across, binding his wounds, and then provides for the man’s continued care. He didn’t have to invite the man to come to his house or change his entire life, it just took a little time to care and share the blessings God had given him. If you want to make a difference, simply do the same.

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Jesus is the only way to God, salvation, and Heaven. All the other “messiahs” were false… not simply misguided, but “thieves and robbers.” If you’re one of Jesus’ sheep, you don’t fall for the false words. You don’t follow the false messiahs. Jesus gives eternal life, an abundant life, because he laid down his for us. Jesus is the good shepherd, follow him.

“One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?”

You don’t have to know everything to follow Jesus. People will come to you and say “oh, you’re a Christian??? Well, how do you explain…” and they’ll try to tell you something they learned on You Tube. Don’t let it bother you. You’re response can be as simple as the man who was blind… “I’m not sure about all that, but one thing I know, Jesus saved me.”

Sure, go back and find out what the argument against Christianity actually is, and find the answer (don’t worry, there’s always an answer), but you don’t have to know the answer in the moment. When someone is asking and asking and asking, you ask them… “why are you asking? If I find the answer, will you follow Jesus too?”

They’ll usually leave you alone at that point… or they might be honest and say “I’ll never become a Christian.” Then you can simply say “then why are you even asking questions, if you simply believe what you believe regardless of the evidence?” It’s the atheist who usually thinks he’s being rational, when you point out they’re not, it tends to irritate them.

“Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”

In this episode of the woman at the well* some religious people brought a woman “caught in the act of adultery.” If I remember my High School Biology correctly, that means there were two people who were caught… but they only brought one. That means they were not interested in Justice, they were interested in catching Jesus. It was illegal, in Rome, to kill someone… yet the OT Law demanded capital punishment for adultery. Jesus’ response is brilliant… only a righteous man is able to judge. Jesus is the only righteous one. The elders understood what Jesus was saying faster, so they left sooner. Jesus offers forgiveness: “Neither do I condemn you…” but he didn’t just wipe the slate clean, he said “from now on sin no more…” The call to follow Jesus is one where your sins are forgiven, but it’s also a call to really follow him and (allow him to) change your life.

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