"If a house is burning, and a bucket of water is thrown on the blaze and doesn't extinguish the fire, this doesn't mean that water won't put out fire. It means we need more water. And so with nonviolence."
- Dorothy Cotton
As we continue to work through the Sermon on the Mount, today we tackle oaths, revenge, and enemy love in Matthew 5:33-48.
Christ continues his teaching here reframing known scriptures and laws and thrusting them into new ethical directions. Being around Christianity for a while can blunt the impact of some scriptures due to over-familiarity and denominational bias. Digging into Jesus's aim here, I'm reminded how audacious and shocking Christ's take on the Law would have been to listeners.
Through all of this, Jesus is setting up an ethic on a different way to exist and live. The Kingdom of God was counter to the power structures of the time and downright revolutionary. His calls are for love and justice through peaceful means.
Through the model of his life, Christ embraced his own words as he walked them out towards his death. Love and nonviolence are at the centerpiece of Christ's mission and aim.
To see anything otherwise is to see a Christless Christianity.
His call for his disciples rings true for us today as we seek justice, love others, and work to heal brokenness. It's a rebellious and defiant act of servitude in the face of power. Maybe it's time to get our hands dirty.
We'll talk about all that and more snark!
Plus, this week's Christian Crazy features: Greg Locke, Shane Vaughn, Joshua Feuerstein, and Jim Bakker
Show notes
Episode Timestamp:
In the News: 03:40
Christian Crazy: 12:00
Main Conversation: 26:00
Book referenced:
Taking Jesus at His Word: What Jesus Really Said in the Sermon on the Mount ~ Addison Hodges Hart
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