Christ is purposely setting standards...
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Christ is purposely setting standards higher than we can attain, for the higher our standards the higher will be our achievements. As the poet Browning wrote: "A man's reach should exceed his grasp, or what's a heaven for." Man's problem is that too often he does not even try. A great inventor of yesteryear, Alfred Steinmetz, was a genius at making new discoveries in the field of electrical power. Near the end of his brilliant career, he attended a dinner with a number of close friends, and after the meal they gathered for an evening of visiting. One of the friends asked Steinmetz what he thought the next great invention would be. Immediately all who were present became silent in order to hear the answer. It was at the time when scientists were just learning to split the atom and unleash all its power and potential. But Steinmetz did not mention atomic power. Instead, he stated that the next great discovery of man would be in the field of the spiritual. Here, he said, was a source of power and help not yet tapped which, when discovered, would bring more advance to the human race than all other inventions ever discovered. Jesus set a high goal for all of us. But how many of society's problems would vanish if multitudes of people loved God and their fellow man to the degree that Christ is describing? The powers of the spiritual realm are waiting to be harnessed for man's good. -- Lentz
