Jesus Was a Radical

Norman Rockwell’s “Golden Rule” painting hangs in the United Nations Building in New York City. In the mosaic, there are faces of twenty-eight people who represent all the different people we must love: black, white, Asian, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, atheist, racist, addicted, imprisoned, gay, homeless, young, old, sick…and the list goes on. It reminds me of this song I learned as a child: Jesus Loves the Little Children. This painting reminds me that Jesus was very different than those around him. He was a radical.

Radical Message

Most of us have been around people who just rub us the wrong way—people we’d really rather not be around. Maybe they have done something hurtful to us or our children. Or, we have seen the way they treat others. Maybe we don’t share the same values or…maybe they are just different than us. Whatever the case, most of us would rather just avoid these people—we figure that it isn’t worth our time or energy to be around people “like that.”

This is the natural human response. But Jesus tells us that our natural desires are sinful, and that we should live differently from the rest of the world. Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also” (Luke 6:27-29, NIV).

This is a radical message and you may want to make excuses as to why you can’t do it. But, if all Scripture really is useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness, we should probably pay the most attention when we are most uncomfortable.

What Come Naturally

The command for us is to do the opposite of what comes naturally. Jesus said that instead of treating the people we didn’t like poorly, we should treat them the same way that we treated those we like. This lesson also made those in Jesus’ time uncomfortable. If we look at the parallel account in Matthew, you see that Jesus was refuting the teaching of the day, with a radical message — Love your enemies.

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:43-45).

Who Is My Neighbor

The teachers of the law had interpreted the command to love your neighbor as meaning love only your neighbor… only those like us. The implication was that if someone wasn’t your neighbor, you didn’t have to love them. Later in Luke, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan to a man who had a similar understanding of the law. When Jesus asked him what the law was, he responded that the law said to love God and to love your neighbor. Jesus told him that was right. But the man had a follow up question: “Who is my neighbor?” With his answer, Jesus sought to correct this misunderstanding of the law. Often, our neighbor is, like the Samaritan, the person that is different from us. Jesus’ point is that we have a responsibility to love everyone—that true love is exercised to everyone regardless of our personal feelings. 

Yes, Jesus was a radical! This teaching is just as radical today. Christians, people often rationalize why this command doesn’t apply to their situation. But, Jesus drove home the point with some examples. He said that if someone strikes you on the cheek turn and offer him the opportunity to punch the other side! He also said that if someone takes your coat you should give them your shirt as well. If someone asks for something, you should give it to them. 

Even Pan Handlers?

Really, even “pan handlers” on the side of the road asking for money? Jesus would say, “Yes!” And if someone steals from you, don’t demand it back. Really, not even file a police report? Taken literally, these commands seem crazy! Christians would be beaten, bruised, broken, and just flat broke! Evil would triumph. That’s the implication of this command if we take it literally. Literally? Yes, I think Jesus really did mean for us to apply this lesson literally, but with wisdom. 

Jesus does not command that we become punching bags, but rather that we should do good when possible and, definitely not to repay evil with evil. The attitude God desires is radically different from the attitude we desire. Jesus was teaching that we must be willing to forgo some of our “rights” for the sake of other people. As much as possible, we should be willing to show love to others—even when we don’t like them or they don’t deserve it. Jesus goes on to distill this concept into a single phrase. He tells his followers, “Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31, NIV). This has been called the “golden rule.” Yes, confirmation for this uncomfortable lesson is offered in Norman Rockwell’s painting.

A Radical Lesson

I’ve had to wrestle with this lesson and it’s made me very uncomfortable. Sadly, the public perception of Christians is not a good one. Many people in America today associate Christians with a particular political party and/or a particular news network. They have the idea that Christians are happy and kind only to those who share their views, and they will shun, ridicule, and marginalize those who do not. If this is the perception the world has of us, we have failed. We have become just like the world. 

So, who do people think is your Father? Does the way you live reflect that you are a child of God, or do you live the same way as the rest of the world? 

Copyright © 2020 Chuck Locklear

Also, see Tops Is Better.