Winston Salem church of Christ

Have you not read; have you not read; have you not read; have you never read; did you never read; have you not read; have you never read; have you not even read; have you not read! 

With a crescendo, I repeated the above, because Jesus Himself often asked that question.  I can imagine the tone ranging from regret to anger to astonishment.  Read the following texts. 

Matthew 12:3 – But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he became hungry, he and his companions, 

Mathew 12:5 – “Or have you not read in the Law, that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple break the Sabbath and are innocent? 

Mathew 19:4 – And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE, 

Matthew 21:16 – and said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes; have you never read, ‘OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF’?” 

Matthew 21:42 – Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; THIS CAME ABOUT FROM THE LORD, AND IT IS MARVELOUS IN OUR EYES’? 

Matthew 22:31 – “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 

Mark 2:25 – And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; 

Mark 12:10 – “Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone; 

Mark 12:26 – “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob’? 

Luke 6:3 – And Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him,Possibly comparable to Jesus’ frustration would be a question that parents often ask their children – “How many times do I have to tell you….” 

Of course the answer is, when you look at His audience, that yes they have read.  That is the astonishing paradox.  They had read, but they had not yet read.  How can that happen?  There is a difference between reading words and allowing the words to change you. 

1.         Mistake Number 1 – Read only to prove what you already believe.2.         Mistake Number 2 – Read only to prove others wrong.3.         Mistake Number 3 – Read only to memorize scriptures.4.         Mistake Number 4 – Read only to stay on reading schedule.5.         Mistake Number 5 – Read only a few passages on a subject and figure that is all you need.6.         Mistake Number 6 – Read without considering the context.7.         Mistake number 7 – Read at random to try to discover God’s will for you.8.         Mistake number 8 – Read the Old Testament law, and applying it to the

New
Testament
Church.9.         Mistake Number 9 – Pick and choose arbitrarily what you want to retain or exclude. 

How do we become good readers?1.         OBEY THE COMMAND TO READ – The Bible is filled with indictments for not reading.  Just look at all the above example.2.         BE OPEN-MINDED – Mt.11:7-193.         ASK QUESTIONS – Mt. 13:9-10; Mk. 4:9-10; Lk.8:8-9 4.         ACCEPT CHALLENGES – Lk.14:355.         MEDITATE – Mt. 13:36-43 6.         BE WILLING TO ACCEPT COMMENDATION AND CRITICISM – Rev.2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22 

When Jesus addresses me on that Great Day, I do not want to be asked, “Did you not read?”