Until It’s Not
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you."
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:38-48
Insight
When I was younger, my mom would routinely tell me, 'Sarah, always remember to treat others the way you want to be treated.' I think it's important to note here; I am one of nine kids. Yes, you read that right. So, to answer any questions you may find yourself with now: 1) Yes, we all have the same two parents. 2) No, we were not Catholic. 3) None of us are twins. 4) There are five girls, including myself, and four boys. 5) Our age range is across 23 years. 6) Yeah, my parents may have been a little crazy. But coming from a big family, we heard this age-old proverb probably more than others. I mean, more people, more arguing, more pleading for peace.
Fast forward in time, some 15 years or so, and I'm starting my walk with Jesus. I'm 22. I'm reading my Bible every morning and night, discovering all I can about Jesus, drinking it all up. It's beautiful, promising, and lovely at first. Like all new relationships tend to be, I can't get enough.
But eventually, I think I have enough and figured out what it means to be a "good" Christian. I'm only 25 at this time—roughly three years into my walk. I'm good, and I'm coasting. But then I realize something. It's hard. When did it get hard? When did I stop spending time with Jesus? When did I stop applying scripture to my life? When did I fall into the habit of being easily angry with the world and people around me? Why was I treating people the opposite of how I wanted to be treated
Treating others the way with dignity, love, and respect is easy until it's not. What happens when someone speaks harshly or acts without care? How do we react when someone wrongs us? Yes, treating someone kindly is easy and almost a stream of consciousness response until we get hit with that all too familiar disrespect. So, seriously ask yourself: then what? Our immediate reaction is to hit back. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth - right?! Everything in our broken and feeble bodies tells us to retaliate, saying, 'It'll feel good; they deserve it.' We tell ourselves, 'There is no way they're going to get away with hurting me! Justice belongs to me!' And then we spend time racking our brains for the best course for retaliation.
If you're anything like me, you'll find that being passive-aggressive works beautifully. Back-handed comments come easy, and you find satisfaction in the hurt and shock that crosses your transgressor's face as soon as your words leave your mouth. But that satisfaction lasts only a couple of minutes before conviction settles in. And just like that, I'm a little girl once more listening to my mother’s advice, except this time it's the Holy Spirit reminding me of the misalignment between my behavior and my heart.
The Sermon on the Mount is a tangible cheat sheet of what it looks like to be a follower of Jesus. There are no "ifs" or "buts" when it comes to the standard of our call as Christ-followers. Love your enemies means you must DO the act of loving, even when it's stinkin' hard. Love is not just a feeling; it is a verb and a person. If we want the accurate picture of love, let's look at Jesus - let's spend time in His Word, and learn how to live out the call he has put on us as followers of Christ.
Reflection
What are some things people can do to you that make you want to retaliate? How can you respond in a way that reflects Jesus?
Do you struggle to find time to spend in God's word? What would it look like for you to make time for Him? What needs to change?
Prayer
Dear Jesus, we come humbly before You, fully aware of our need for You and Your grace. God, align our divided hearts. Show us what love looks like, Father. Let us be mindful of our wrongs and give us the understanding to make them right. Refine us in Your love. We love You, Jesus. It's in Your name we pray, Amen.
Port City writer Sarah Banks wrote today's devotional.