Matthew 22:13
Some may take offense at this verse. Jesus here seems to break away from his illustration and interject a divine punishment that no earthly king would have at his disposal. But, one must remember, the kings of the earth would not fail to use this punishment if it was available. The capital punishments that we find in history, whether in the Bible or outside of it, were of a very horrible nature. Crucifixion, sawing asunder, hanging, being drawn and quartered, flaying alive, etc. These are horrific forms of torture and execution, and all have been carried out in the name of justice.
Indeed, compared to human judgments, the throwing of a person into ‘outer darkness’ might be considered merciful. Why? Because an all-powerful God could do more. He could annihilate people. He could doom them to any number of things. It seems, however, that the worst part of this condemnation will be the remorse and guilt associated with the finality of the person’s state. Weeping and gnashing of teeth refer to the person’s reaction to being in ‘outer darkness’ which tells us that they will be conscious of their existence in a hopeless state of being. I am not trying to minimize the fires of hell, but the worst of it will be the realization that Almighty God is the Source of all Good, and those who have chosen against him are doomed to be goodless (I know that is not a word, but it gets the gist of it) for all of eternity.
Bible Reading: Numbers 8:1-10:36
Scripture Memory: James 1:24 “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.”
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for You! When will we realize that You are the only Source of Goodness? You alone may do for us what needs to be done. You are not a divine pacifier. You cannot be treated as an all-powerful pleasure maker. You are a person. You will decide what to give us, and when. But You are a good person, the Best Person. You will always do the best for us. We can rely upon You, we can surrender ourselves to You. You are worthy of our every breath! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.
Prayer Requests: Pray for a woman with lupus. Pray for an older couple with health issues. Pray for a woman with a sleep disorder.
Journal Entry #14145