AMY LARSON
Staff Writer
When we think of Jesus walking the Earth, we think of him breaking bread to feed crowds, healing and teaching.
Yes, Jesus did all of those things. But he was so much more. Jesus said he did not come to bring peace, but to bring revolution (Matthew 10).
Christianity has become so comfortable, but is that what Jesus really intended it to be? What if Jesus actually meant all the things that he said — even the tough things? I believe that, as Christians, our faith — and those that choose to follow it — would look very different if we followed all of Christ’s teachings.
Jesus told his followers to love their enemies (Matthew 5). I wonder how consistently we follow this axiom.
Do we pray for those who mistreat us? Do we forgive, even when it is difficult?
When Jesus was near death, he asked God to forgive those who had beaten, spit upon and ridiculed him. He forgives us, though we betray him time and time again. I wonder if we would treat people differently — in our classes, at work, in our families, in traffic — if we considered these words just as important today as the day Jesus spoke them.
I wonder if our “Christian nation” would be at war so often if we considered these words to be just as true as the words we find easy to swallow.
Jesus also called us to ignore wealth and material things (Matthew 19). In fact, when a young man told Jesus that he had followed every rule for his entire life, Jesus informed him that there was still something he lacked — to sell all he had and give the money to the poor.
Jesus recognized that the place where we hold our treasure is also the place that holds our hearts (Matthew 6).
Jesus never sought material goods to improve his status or image. In fact, the Bible never implies that Jesus was a rich man; there are implications that Jesus may have even been homeless (Matthew 8).
Jesus reminded his followers that material goods are temporary and unimportant, yet many of us chase after them with no reservation. We seek money, the newest gadget, the best brand, but Jesus says we should be giving to those in need instead.
Finally, Jesus says we must take care of those around us. In Matthew 25, Jesus speaks about giving food to the hungry, clothes to the naked and visiting the sick and imprisoned. Jesus says that any action done to the “least” of people is really something done to him.
When we ignore or belittle those around us, we ignore and belittle Jesus. When we treat others as unimportant, we do the same to our loving Savior.
I am willing to bet that Jesus was as serious about these things as he was about Heaven and love, and the things we like to hear. So, today, I place a challenge before you — and before myself. Let’s learn to live as if all the things Jesus said were true, not just the things we find comfortable or that benefit us. Let’s actually be Christ-like, actually do what Jesus tells us to. Let’s be real Christians.
10-04-2007
