I may misunderstand some of this, but let me put in that I can understand one way of reacting to Jesus' words. Some of things he says are radical, so we read it or hear it and think, "Ok, I know he isn't saying I should literally cut of my hand," but we don't spend any time thinking about what he meant. Sure, Jesus is exaggerating about plucking eyes and amputating hands, but is he saying more than "Sin is really bad, so don't do it"? Or another hard one he says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Is Jesus really saying where you put your money, anywhere you put your money, there your affections or loyalty will be? That's radical.

Thanks for sharing this, Bill.

I think the post is very true, the sad fact is that most Christians (including myself) have not focused on Jesus' life and teaching enough. I remember saying something in my teens that startled me (after I said it), I was part of a fundamentalist church that emphasized doctrine and taught from the OT and the Epistles and only used pieces of the Gospels to enforce their doctrinal views, I said to my friend that the part of the Bible I disliked the most was the Gospels. What I meant in my heart of hearts was that the Gospels were not neat and clear and easy to follow. The commitment demanded in the Gospels far exceeds the intellectual demands of learning theology or hating sin. My whole being was asked for. The good news is that once I immersed myself in the Gospels I understood better, I had to unlearn much of what I was taught. I found peace in Jesus' tenderness, I saw a lot of things in my self that needed to change and I changed willingly.