MacDonald: the undeveloped germ

Friday, November 7, 2014
    Feast of Willibrord of York, Archbishop of Utrecht, Apostle of Frisia, 739
Meditation:
    [Jesus:] “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
    —Matthew 5:21-22 (NIV)
Quotation:
    The murderer and the unloving sit on the same bench before the Judge of eternal truth... Until we love our brother,—yes, until we love our enemy,—who is yet our brother,—we contain within ourselves the undeveloped germ of murder. And so with every sin in the tables, or out of the tables.
    ... George MacDonald (1824-1905), Selections from the Writings of George MacDonald, F.L. Dusenberry, 1889, p. 29 (see the book)
    See also Matt. 5:21-22; Ex. 20:13; Deut. 5:17; Ps. 37:8; Matt. 5:43-45; Eph. 4:26-27,31-32; 1 Pet. 2:23; 3:9
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, convict me of my hatred, wherever it is. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
    search    script    mobile
sub    fb    twt