Living Counter Culturally

 

When I hear people talk about books or other writings that changed the world, I think of Matthew 5-7, the Sermon on the Mount. When I read any part of the Sermon on the Mount I am challenged, but Matthew 5:38-45 is the most challenging part for me.

 

In verse 39 Jesus says that we are not to resist the one who is evil & that if we are slapped on one cheek, we are to turn our other cheek to the person who had just slapped our first cheek. It is not our natural reaction to be hit & not only take it but turn our other cheek to be hit again. We live in a culture that says hit, only hit back harder & resist evil, however we define evil. In fact, many Christians see it as our calling to point out evil & fight against it. Jesus says that we are not to resist evil. I came to understand that better this summer. I met some brothers & sisters this summer who live in a culture that is evil & one of the most repressive ones in the world. Their way of living in that culture was to continually proclaim the gospel & live the gospel out & live with whatever consequences came. They were joyful & had a peace that I honestly didn’t have.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about focusing on sharing the gospel of Jesus which is the power of God for salvation & living with whatever consequences that may bring.

 

In verses 40-42 Jesus says that if anyone is demanding that we do something, that we are to go beyond what they are demanding we do; give them our tunic & our cloak, go two miles if we are forced to go one mile. We are also to give to those who ask us for something. This is not how most people view life. We don’t feel that anyone has a right to demand that we do things we don’t want to do & that we give only to those we like or consider deserving.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about going beyond what we are asked to do & being generous in our giving to others.

 

In verses 43-44 Jesus says that we are to love our enemies & pray for those who persecute us. This may be the hardest command that Jesus gives us. Many people feel they are to hate those who hate them & love those who love them. In verse 45 when we love our enemies & pray for our persecutors, we are then children of our Father. The God we follow is the God who makes the sun to rise on the evil & the good & sends the rain on the just & the unjust. When we love our enemies & pray for our persecutors, we manifest the same grace that God shows to all humans. It is God’s grace that will lead people to repentance.

 

Raise the Roof & Remove the Walls is about manifesting to others the same grace that God shows to us.

 

These commands that Jesus gives us in the Sermon on the Mount are countercultural. They do not follow the norm of any culture. No culture is in line with God’s will & when we live out the truth of God’s word, we will come in conflict with the culture. We have to decide how we will live: according to what our culture says or according to Jesus’ commands & thus live counterculturally.

 

Living Counterculturally & Raising the Roof & Removing the Walls,

                                            Joe