"We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; when we are slandered, we answer kindly." 1 Cor. 4: 12-13
How often do I/we really do this? As the church? As followers of Christ?
It feels like, most of the time, we spend our time screaming for, demanding, our rights, angrily addressing those that disagree with us, dismissing them as almost "less than" for their differences in thought. We seem to believe that "their" ugliness or "their" attacks somehow justify our retaliation.
Turn the other cheek, walk the extra mile, give my cloak also -- these commands don't really mean anything, even within the Church, anymore. But Jesus said, and meant, those things. He meant them just as much as other verses we throw around liberally, expecting everyone to obey.
The teacher - the God - we follow, did not "win" in any way we would measure winning today. He died on a cross, as a criminal, with almost no one remaining loyal to His cause. He had little to call His own and what He did have, He gave to those in need. He spent His energy defending others - never Himself. He brought healing, life, recovery, to those around Him. Any scathing remarks He spoke were always to those that used their power to hurt others. His rights were stripped, He was stripped, bare. Yet, He prayed for those very people, even as they mocked and killed Him. He treated His enemies with no less love than His closest friends.
He loved them, all of them, to the very end - and then into the new beginning. THIS is who we claim to follow.
God help us - help me - to want to be like You more than we want to be known, or powerful, or comfortable, or safe.
