At first glance, it seems to me that Jesus would be quite a misfit in our current national and international society. I wonder, did he really mean what the Gospel writers claimed that he said? Let’s face it. In today’s world, his teachings seem out of place. “Love your enemies? That’s crazy.” How easy to assume that the words Matthew attributed to Jesus fit the political atmosphere over 2,000 years ago but offer no match for a world full of tweets, cyber wars, drones, and nuclear threats.
Today, tough domination and even rejection of all those considered enemies appears to be the desired goal. Unfortunately, hating those we fear requires ignoring many of the words recorded in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What if the lessons recorded by the gospel writers continue to beckon to us today? How might we live if we believe the teachings credited to Jesus fit our current lives more accurately than we want to admit?
I am convinced that IF I want to call myself a follower of Christ, I cannot do less than love my enemies. I also fear that the teachings of Jesus do not work well for wimps, which whispers a hint that I may not be brave enough to actually do this. However, if I want a less demanding way to live, I will need to stop referring to myself as one who seeks to follow the teachings of Jesus.