A Hard Ask

It’s not easy to be like Jesus.  Especially when he says things like, “Love your enemies,” “If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods do not ask for them again.”  (Click to read the full passage.)

That’s a hard ask.  We all nod and agree that these are nice things, but how many of us are really prepared to do what is asked?

Of course, the reality is usually not so simple and the call to agape love is sometimes tough and sometimes requires tough answers, including “no.”

I believe that what passages like this teach us two things.  First, our bias should be to give whenever we are able.  While there may sometimes be good reasons not to give in every situation, we need to come at it with an assumption of generosity rather than an assumption of protecting what is ours.  I won’t presume to say what that means in every circumstance because there are many things that feed into the decision (ability to care for family and self, meeting one’s legitimate obligations, what is best for the other and when can we actually know that, etc.)  Pray earnestly that God would guide you.  I am confident that most of us could do a lot more giving.

Second, and as a pastor, this is the more important:  approaching the world this way requires that we shift the center of our lives.  Our faith means that our lives are centered in God and not in the things of this world.  That’s a very different way of thinking about our interactions and we need to constantly remind ourselves of the need for this shift.  This is part of why regular worship, Bible study, prayer, service and invitation are so important.  Without constant attention, our center moves back to this world.

Where might you need to re-center your world in God?

This column appeared in the February 20, 2022 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.

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