Cross Points 1.29.21
Counter Intuitive Ways of Jesus
I’ll admit that I like the TV show Seinfeld. In one-episode Jerry’s friend George says, “My life is the opposite of everything I want it to be. Every instinct I have, in every aspect of life…it’s all been wrong.” Jerry replies, “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.” George agrees and decides, “Yes, I will do the opposite!” He proceeds to test this theory, with things improving as a result. We laugh and think, that’s not the way life works. But maybe…
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says a variety of things that sound counter intuitive, almost as if you should do the opposite of what you’d normally do. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Why would the poor in spirit be blessed? Maybe because only those who understand their spiritual need respond as they should to God’s call. Blessed are those who mourn. Why would those mourning be blessed? Maybe because only those who have solid personal relationships that grieve when there’s a loss, those who mourn their own personal standing without God, see clearly the sin we must fight against, as it impacts every area of life (including eventually death).
It continues… Blessed are the meek. Isn’t that the opposite of what our culture says? But humility before God is vital, even as we utilize our strengths. Blessed are those persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Do you feel blessed while being put down by society, even discriminated against? But if Jesus is our primary concern in life (to live as we should and have hope for eternity) living for him in-spite-of persecution must be a value. This concept goes on and on. Our culture says to protect yourself, but Jesus says to deny yourself. Our culture says to promote yourself, but Jesus says to be humble. Our culture says that greatness is when others serve you, but Jesus says greatness is when you serve others.
Are you getting the drift? Maybe George was onto something. When others hurt you, the normal reaction is to strike back. Jesus says to turn the other cheek. We can easily think that doing the bare minimum preserves energy and cuts corners. Jesus says to go the extra mile. Conventional wisdom in our society says it’s smart to live with the person before marriage, maybe even instead of marriage. Jesus says sexual purity is important, one man with one woman was how God ordained it from the beginning. His apostle Paul would later say marriage should be honored by all; the marriage bed kept pure. Common sense might seem to say that hording our money for the future, protecting our money for all the stuff we want, just seems right. Jesus says to store up treasure in heaven, because where our treasure is, so will our heart be.
It was Augustine who famously said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds it’s rest in you.” That yearning to be right with God is there, for sure. But our world gravitates like a magnet toward sin and selfishness. Satan is the antagonist in this cosmic story, and he does what he can to help the magnet pull on us. The pull is strong, the hold is tight. Yet when we cry out to Jesus, accepting him as Lord, honoring him as we seek his way, we are released and set free to live the way God would want, the way we really want too. The counter intuitive way of Jesus.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says a variety of things that sound counter intuitive, almost as if you should do the opposite of what you’d normally do. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Why would the poor in spirit be blessed? Maybe because only those who understand their spiritual need respond as they should to God’s call. Blessed are those who mourn. Why would those mourning be blessed? Maybe because only those who have solid personal relationships that grieve when there’s a loss, those who mourn their own personal standing without God, see clearly the sin we must fight against, as it impacts every area of life (including eventually death).
It continues… Blessed are the meek. Isn’t that the opposite of what our culture says? But humility before God is vital, even as we utilize our strengths. Blessed are those persecuted for Jesus’ sake. Do you feel blessed while being put down by society, even discriminated against? But if Jesus is our primary concern in life (to live as we should and have hope for eternity) living for him in-spite-of persecution must be a value. This concept goes on and on. Our culture says to protect yourself, but Jesus says to deny yourself. Our culture says to promote yourself, but Jesus says to be humble. Our culture says that greatness is when others serve you, but Jesus says greatness is when you serve others.
Are you getting the drift? Maybe George was onto something. When others hurt you, the normal reaction is to strike back. Jesus says to turn the other cheek. We can easily think that doing the bare minimum preserves energy and cuts corners. Jesus says to go the extra mile. Conventional wisdom in our society says it’s smart to live with the person before marriage, maybe even instead of marriage. Jesus says sexual purity is important, one man with one woman was how God ordained it from the beginning. His apostle Paul would later say marriage should be honored by all; the marriage bed kept pure. Common sense might seem to say that hording our money for the future, protecting our money for all the stuff we want, just seems right. Jesus says to store up treasure in heaven, because where our treasure is, so will our heart be.
It was Augustine who famously said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds it’s rest in you.” That yearning to be right with God is there, for sure. But our world gravitates like a magnet toward sin and selfishness. Satan is the antagonist in this cosmic story, and he does what he can to help the magnet pull on us. The pull is strong, the hold is tight. Yet when we cry out to Jesus, accepting him as Lord, honoring him as we seek his way, we are released and set free to live the way God would want, the way we really want too. The counter intuitive way of Jesus.
Cross Point: Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” Counter intuitive? He continues, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”