Responding differently, uncharacteristically...Matthew 5:33-42

 

The view of Grand Lake from the summit of Shadow mountain.

This is a very different perspective from the beach in town below.  From the beach you are looking up and from here you are looking down.  From the beach you see a part of the lake and from here you can view all of the lake.  From each vantage point you can learn something about what you are seeing.  What if I had never climbed Shadow Mountain to see it from this different view?

Jesus has been taking His disciples through some of the commandments of the Bible and showing them a different perspective so they could have a different response to the common teachings of the day.  Instead of just making sure you don't murder someone, Jesus points them to take many steps back and deal with unresolved anger toward another and work toward true reconciliation.  Instead of just making sure you don't commit adultery with someone else's spouse, Jesus points them to take many steps back and deal with impure thoughts about others and protecting the God given marriage covenant with a cherishing of His instructions on preserving it.  Jesus is ready to give them some more ways to respond differently.

In a world full of exaggeration and amplifying to make a point, Jesus instructs our responses to be a simple yes and no.  In a world that loves to throw insults and point fingers, He instructs His disciples to turn the other cheek and keep a true conversation going.  In a world that is greedy to take from others, He instructs His disciples to give even your cloak if necessary.  In a world that puts such a focus on man's rights, He instructs His disciples to forgo man's rights to share with them a more important message in the second mile.  

What is very sad is that the general church at times has not given these uncharacteristic responses to the world's reactions.  Instead of a simple answer the church has participated in exaggeration; instead of keeping the conversation going, the church has thrown some mud back; instead of giving, the church has been on the pursuit of taking; and instead of going the second mile, the church has focused on its rights to the detriment of losing opportunities to share the gospel.  We have often responded more like the world than the words of Jesus.

Approaching the situation from a different perspective and rightfully the way Jesus wants us to respond as His disciples has a profound impact on our world but also upon us.  The disciples rejoiced when they left the Sanhedrin after then endured some of what Jesus had suffered because they were able to walk per say in His footprints.  We can experience the same when we rely on the simple truthful answer without resorting to the threatening claim to make our point.  We can experience the same when we turn the other cheek and give the cloak and go the second mile.  We can experience the same when we go from the mentality of always storing up to sharing with others the resources that God has given to us.  The question is:  Will we follow His instructions?

When we don't, we haven't received the benefit of climbing the mountain with Him to see it from His vantage point.  Even though we can't see the whole picture as He does, we at least have the opportunity to be in a place to see what God will do.  If we don't follow His instructions, we are not even in a place to receive the joy of seeing our God in action.  

As my good friend Emily said, "We are kinda weird."  Yes we are to the world and sometimes to the church when we respond as Jesus tells us to.

Adam