“I knew thee that thou art an hard man...”
(Matt. 25:24)
In Matthew chapter twenty-five Jesus continues His Olivet Discourse begun in the previous chapter. The two chapters concern themselves with His return and coming Kingdom. The stories He uses to illustrate this great event are parabolic. The above text is about a servant who thought he knew his master, but had absolutely no conception of his true character.
Small and uncompassionate thinkers fit into this category. I shamefully confess I was among this hord for many years. When our children were small I once said, sarcastically, to one of my boys who had been mischievous, “I know you, boy!” My wise wife, when we were alone, said to me, “You really don’t know anything about him. You were not brought up in a Christian home as he.” I had made the mistake so many make concerning others, “Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself.”
When evaluating others we need not only take ourselves out of the equation, but to remember that time and events play a big part in changing people, for better or worse. What someone was, in the past, does not necessarily men that is what he or she is, now. Saul of the New Testament and Saul of the Old show this contrast for the better or for the worse.
Far too many of us, I think, major on knowing others when the real focus ought to be on, “Know Thyself.” Once we know this person (ourselves), we will be far too busy in our attempt in figuring out someone else.
“Before we remove a tiny speck out of our brother’s eye we need to work on getting the telephone pole out of our own.”
(rds)
An Old Disciple
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