Lesson In A Fishbowl
LESSON IN A FISHBOWL
Read Matthew 5:38-47.
“It’s too hot to mow the lawn,” groaned Joey.
“Well, it’s not going to get cooler. You’d better start now,” advised Mother.
“The Bible says, ‘Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them.’ And I feel angry right now,” grumbled Joey.
“You’re taking that verse out of context, Son,” said Mom firmly. “The same chapter says, ‘Children, obey your parents.’”
Later that day Joey played with his little brother, Nick. Soon Mom heard Nick crying, so she went outside. “Joey pushed me down,” sobbed the little boy.
“Well, he ran into me,” Joey defended himself. “The Bible says, ‘If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it.’”
“There you go again, taking a verse out of context. The Bible also says, ‘Be kind to one another,’” Mom replied sternly.
“What does context mean?” Joey asked. “You said that earlier today.”
“Taking something out of its context means to take it out of its proper surroundings,” Mom explained. “If you do that to Goldy, your goldfish—you take it out of water—it will soon die. If you take a Bible verse out of its proper surroundings—that is, if you use it any way you want, without considering other Bible verses—you can make it seem like the verse is saying something different from what it really means.”
HOW ABOUT YOU?
Do you use Bible verses to try and get your own way? God’s Word is sacred, and you should never use it in a wrong way. Don’t use it in a way that doesn’t agree with the principles taught in the Bible.
TO MEMORIZE:
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth.
John 16:13
USE GOD’S WORD CAREFULLY.
From the book
