Day 111..."An Eye for an Eye...Fear or Respect...A Clean House"

Cities are established for those who accidently kill others....the distance away provides refuge. . Those who kill diliberately will not find refuge. Instead, they will be turned in and put to death. An "eye for an eye" is the law. Jesus will reference this teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. The Psalmist raises the topic the "fear of the Lord" makes one wise..."The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;all those who practice it have a good understanding." Is the meaning fear or respect? I believe it is respect and this is greater than the emotion of fear. Respect can also mean responding in love. Luke continues with teaching from The Sermon on the Mount. Luke writes portions of the Lord's Prayer along with teachings about a father caring for his children. Then there are two instances with the metphor of a house. A house cannot stand against itself...division does weaken. Another metaphor about a house is the clean house. Jesus' teaching of the clean house reminds us repentance must be accompanied with the right habits. The object is not just cleaning the house but furnishing the house with the right things. We have a better chance of change if we can be proactive...with good habits to replace the old ones. Reading through the Bible would be one such proactive step!