One of the most important things we learn in life, very often from our mothers, is discernment. Whether it’s not being too trusting of strangers when we’re little, or not falling for scams when we are grown up, it’s important to know that we can’t take everyone, or everything, in life at face value. To do so can be very dangerous.
In our passage from Matthew this morning, Jesus warns us that what’s true in general is also true in our spiritual lives. We all face a constant temptation to swap the way Jesus taught us in the Sermon on the Mount for something a bit easier, and Jesus says there will be no shortage of religious teachers who will be willing to give us their blessing in doing so. We need to be discerning if we are to remain faithful to Jesus.
Ed