Dr. Brent Sleasman preached a great message in EBS chapel today. He talked about how Jesus turned human culture on its head by challenging the social protocol of reciprocity.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus not only changes the Mosaic law (as the new Moses), he also challenges the nuts and bolts of human sociology.
“You know that whole thing about, ‘I scratch your back, you scratch mine’? Well, that’s not how it works in the kingdom. In the kingdom, we endlessly love everyone.”
Jesus says, “In the kingdom, it’s not, ‘You do something for me, I do something for you.’ In the kingdom, I’ve done it all for you, just because I love you. This is how God is, and this is how you should be too.”
Of course, Dr. Brent applied this to the “love your enemies” discourse.
Even the pagans love those who treat them well. What good is that? That’s not what the kingdom is about. The kingdom is about grace, upon grace, upon grace, upon grace.
Jesus then goes on to put his money where is mouth is by dying for us, while we were still sinners (notice, my fellow Wesleyans, that Paul uses past tense language in Romans 5:6–8; “while we were still sinners”).
I love that God didn’t wait for humanity to muster up enough faith before sending his Son; God sent his son even though humanity was faithless.
This says something to our context today. This says that as Christians, as the body of Christ, we are to love, serve, and pour out “even though”. Nothing is done in the kingdom because someone has earned it. Everything in the kingdom is based solely on God and HIS faithfulness. In fact, it all the more give off the wonderful scent of kingdom when we love even though.
Who is your enemy today? Or, even simpler than that, who annoys you today? Who makes you furious today? Who persecutes you today? Take it over and make it look like the kingdom where you are. Let the kingdom be shed abroad in your heart with the endless, unconditional love of Jesus.
It’s SO easy to love people who love us. It’s SO hard…no it’s SO IMPOSSIBLE to love those who hate us. That requires Holy Spirit indwelling. We cannot do it, but the Holy Spirit can. In our weakness he makes us strong.
This is probably where we need his strength the most; in loving those who hate us, those who slander us, those who mock us, those who persecute us, those who wish to destroy us, those who testify falsely against us.
Love them, and His Name will be glorified.
