an ahhhha moment

My children have been reading the book of Matthew as their bible assignment. Well, to be truthful - they are listening to it on their ipods. As we were riding in the car to the play today, my middle son, suddenly gets excited to share. Mom - did you know that in the book of Matthew it says that a house divided against itself will not stand? Abraham Lincoln said that. 

Well, honey, I know that Abraham Lincoln was a Christian and read the bible. My son realized then that Abraham Lincoln had been quoting from the bible when he said that famous line. 

When he got home, he had to pull out his bible to SEE it in black and white. He read it to me again and told me how he thought that was so cool. 

I started to wonder how many adults think that famous line is really all just Abraham Lincoln's --- how many realize the original author was Jesus? 

Abraham Lincoln said this line in a speech he gave in Springfield, Ill. on June 16, 1858. Lincoln delivered the speech when addressing his Republican colleagues at the statehouse during the Republican State Convention --- just after they chose him as their candidate for the U.S. Senate, running against Democrat Stephen A. Douglas. 

Here is the beginning of the speech - 

Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Convention.

If we could first know where we are, and whither we are tending, we could then better judge what to do, and how to do it.

We are now far into the fifth year, since a policy was initiated, with the avowed object, and confident promise, of putting an end to slavery agitation.

Under the operation of that policy, that agitation has not only, not ceased, but has constantly augmented.

In my opinion, it will not cease, until a crisis shall have been reached, and passed.

"A house divided against itself cannot stand."

I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.

I do not expect the Union to be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect it will cease to be divided.

It will become all one thing or all the other.

Either the opponents of slavery, will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become alike lawful in all the States, old as well as new -- North as well as South.

Here is the bible verse that Abraham Lincoln paraphrased from:

Matthew 12:25

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."

I am just amazed that J put the two thoughts together. We have been studying the Civil War and he remembered the speech --- and then put that together with his bible reading. Pretty impressive!!