Be strange for Jesus' sake

"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 children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

What kind of things set Christians apart & make them different from those who do not follow Jesus? This is an important question for us to ask and worth reflection as we consider the shape of our own lives. Jesus in his sermon on the mount spells out a few things that are to be features of the community of Gods people. But here he talks about ones relationship with their enemies. How is a follower to relate to those they consider enemies? By praying for & loving them. This is of course a weird thing to do. One of the kids at our camp last weekend reminded me of how counter cultural this was. When I told him about Jesus praying for those who nailed him to the cross- he said, "that is ridiculous, if someone hurts me- I will hurt them." It's true- what Jesus is asking is not normal; it's strange. But we were called not to conform- we are called to shine a light in darkness & when we do the world will ask us to give a reason for our strange behavior- then we will announce: "Because Jesus is King."

Grace, peace & strength be yours,
From Marcus

" Love is the most powerful weapon on earth. Only love turns an enemy into a friend." (Martin Luther King Jnr)