Matthew 23:23-39

23:30 "and say, 'If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' "

The prophets bear judgment on their ancestors and proclaim their righteousness in claiming they would have acted differently in the same situation.

I was trying to think of examples of historical Christianity that we might look on with disdain. The Crusades or the Inquisition (although that was Catholic, if memory serves) came to mind. There's the church at Corinth (sleeping with your dad's wife!), or the Galatians reverting to works-based faith. It's easy to say "I would never..."

Or would we? People love to trash those who failed because it makes themselves look better and leaves little room to discuss their own failures. And whose to say that in 10 or 15 years, abortion will be completely marginalized and that generation will look at those of us who lived during abortion's rampage and say "we would never have allowed that to go on!" Let's pull the logs our of our own eyes before we start looking at the specks in others. Would I have stood up to the guy in Corinth messing around with his stepmom? Would I have gone to him and said "knock it off!" Or would I have just told myself "I'll pray for him"? I'm thinking of an example right now, and I'm now questioning if I've been bold enough...

Lord, help me to not assume my own righteousness, but to look to Your standard to measure myself. Help me to continue to grow in all righteousness and to be bold in confronting sin.