Many people who believe in Christ do not know what He really taught. They are unaware that they would not accept many of Jesus’ instructions. These are the “hard sayings” of Jesus-the teachings we will examine in this series. Even in the time of Christ many of His words were misunderstood and rejected. Take John… Read More

There is valuable instruction in Matthew, chapter five, from the “hard sayings” of Jesus. Matthew 5:33-37 considers the matter of oaths. Most professing Christians have never given it a thought, or if so, they have considered it too impractical to employ in the modern world. Some regard this instruction as “too hard.” So, what did… Read More

The “hard sayings” of Jesus include not only those sayings that many find objectionable, but also those that are difficult to understand. Matthew 6:7-13, commonly called the “Lord’s Prayer,” is one of those sayings that has been misunderstood because it is assumed it should be memorized and repeated regularly in worship. Jesus did not necessarily… Read More

In Matthew 11:12, Jesus said: “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” What did Jesus mean by this enigmatical statement? For one thing, the “kingdom of heaven” is the same as the “Kingdom of God.” Compare Matthew 13:11 with… Read More

Matthew 11:27 may not seem like a “hard saying,” that is, difficult to understand, but it is indeed. It reads: “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal… Read More

Mark 8:34-35 is a “hard saying,” not because it is difficult to understand, but because it is hard to receive. Many simply cannot believe Jesus really meant what He said. The text reads: ” . . . Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For… Read More

A “hard saying” that “goes against the grain” of many people is found in Matthew 6:24. Jesus said: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Mammon is… Read More

This installment begins with the parable of the “Marriage Supper,” found in Matthew 22. The parable and its meaning are explained in Part Five of the series “The Parables.” Part Five can be accessed from the home page. For the purpose of this series, two aspects of this parable need to be considered. The first… Read More

Matthew 23:33 is considered a “hard saying” because many people think Jesus’ words in this text were the result of a personal vendetta against the Pharisees. Those who think so have no realization of the kind of damage of which these religious leaders were guilty, and why Christ said what He did. His words were:… Read More

The final “hard saying of Jesus” to be addressed in this series is the text found in Mark 9:43-48. And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where… Read More