Sun, 2 June 2019
Melissa Brunning was on a multi-day cruise off the coast of western Australia. One day several participants on the cruise decided to hand-feed some sharks that were spotted in the waters near their boat.
Video footage shows her offering bait to a passing tawny nurse shark (which looks to be about 7 feet long). The shark ends up taking the bait--and her hand with it. It actually pulls her in the water which is croc-infested!
Thankfully, her friends are able pull her back to safety. After medical treatment, including surgery, she is expected to fully recover.
To her credit she points the finger of blame at herself. She says that she didn’t respect the shark sufficiently and will never again be guilty of that. When fully grown nurse sharks have about 30 rows of teeth in the upper jaw and nearly that many in the lower jaw.
There are some things with which you shouldn’t toy. Sharks belong on that list. Snakes belong on that list. Sin belongs on that list. There are passing temptations that will, if you reach out to them, drag you into infested waters.
Jesus knew this full well. He addressed this in a pointed way in the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:27-32 Jesus points out the seriousness of sexual sin and ways to combat it. Join us this Sunday at Istrouma as we dive into this topic.
Culture Flip “Don’t Feed the Sharks!” Matthew 5:27-32
You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery”(5:27).
But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart (5:28).
If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. 31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (5:29-32).
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