Responding to Jesus' Challenge

In our Grounded & Growing classes we are looking at some of the lessons Jesus taught us in the sermon on the mount. I have promoted the class as "Christianity According To Jesus", since this sermon really contains the essence of what Jesus said the Christian life is supposed to look like. 

The things Jesus taught in the sermon on the mount are totally counter cultural. In fact they

are counter to our human nature in many respects. Jesus makes it clear that we are not to be satisfied with accepting our natural tendencies or the cultural norms. As followers of Christ our lives and our attitudes should be distinctly different from what is generally accepted as the norm. That's what the salt and light lesson is about. We are supposed to be different, different enough that our lives make things taste better, and bring light to a dark world. 

While all of what Jesus taught in this sermon is challenging, some things seems to be virtually impossible. That became quite clear as we discussed what Jesus said about anger and revenge and loving our enemies. We did pretty well in the anger and revenge discussions, but it is obvious that loving our enemies is simply not a natural thing for most of us. 

So that means I can't retaliate when someone hurts me, or worse yet, hurts someone I care about? So I am supposed to love and pray for someone who continues to abuse me or my loved ones at every opportunity? Okay, this is hard.

Yes, this and some of Jesus' other teaching is very hard. It goes against our nature. I suppose that's really the point. It goes against OUR nature, but is absolutely consistent with GOD'S nature. Somehow God's nature has to become our nature. That's the spiritual journey He wants us to be on.

As we consider some of the really difficult challenges Jesus confronts us with, we have essentially two possible responses. We can say "Sorry, but I just can't go there. That person hurt me so badly and they don't even care, so there is no way I can love them or pray for them. And forgiveness is out of the question. I know what Jesus said, but I can't (or won't) do it!" 

The other possible response is to say "I'm not sure I can do that, but I know it's what Jesus wants and I really want to please him. I want to be obedient. So God you're really going to have to help me with this because it's not in me to do it on my own."

The first says I can't do it, and I'm not willing. The second says I can't do it, but I would like to with God's help.

I've used the "love your enemies" teaching as an example because it is one of the more challenging teachings and obviously a real stumbling block for many, but the principle applies to any of the things Jesus teaches us about Christian living. We have the choice to say "I'm not going there" or "I want to go there and I need your help". 

I believe this is a critical choice and that it has a profound impact on our growth as Christians. The first response says I am not willing to be obedient. What's the result of an attitude like that? In my understanding the result is a stunting of our spiritual growth. When we say to God that I don't care what you say, I am going my own way, we are putting up barriers to what God wants to accomplish in our lives. We can only grow in our spiritual lives when we are willing to let God shape us and change us, and bring us more and more into a likeness of Jesus. God can't (or won't) mold an unwilling vessel.

On the other hand, when our attitude is to acknowledge both our weakness and our desire for God to help us overcome that weakness, we are opening the door for all the wonderful things God wants to grow and develop in our lives. When our desire is that God take our imperfect nature and mold us so we become more and more like Jesus, that's exactly what will happen.

We are born with a sinful nature,and the world we live in is plagued with ungodly attitudes. The things Jesus teaches us are often contrary to our nature and to what is generally accepted by the people around us. He knows that. He knows the lifestyle He teaches is so challenging we won't be able to get there without His help. The decision we face is simply, are we willing? Are we willing to let God shape us or would we rather stubbornly hang on to our own way even if it is contrary to what Jesus wants. 

If I'm right in my thinking, refusal to allow God to work in our lives and help us conform to His will will stop our spiritual growth in it's tracks. That's a terrible price to pay for stubbornness. It's a terrible price to pay just so I can hang on to attitudes or behaviours that God wants to change. 

We all have some struggles in conforming to Jesus' instructions for Christian living. Being the perfect Christ follower is illusive and impossible for me to get to on my own. Yet if my desire is to be all that Jesus wants me to be, and I am willing to submit myself to the work of the Holy Spirit in my life, I can daily grow more and more into the person He wants me to be. 

I want that.