Some Thoughts on the Sermon on the Mount

Reading the Sermon on the Mount never ceases to impact me. Yesterday morning I read through Matthew 5-7 once again, and as usually happens, began to examine myself in light of what Jesus was saying. I always struggle with the commands to "turn the other cheek," "go the second mile," "love your enemies," "repay no-one evil for evil," etc. I guess the reason for this is that it runs so contrary to my nature as a human being, and especially as a male. In all of our entertainment, the guy we admire and root for is the one with all the combat skills, guns, power, and "don't mess with me attitude." We see that as a great strength. When John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Russell Crowe, Mel Gibson, or Harrison Ford is slighted in a movie, we don't expect to see them turn the other cheek and forgive the sin of the offender, we know there's going to be some butt-kicking! In our own personal lives, when someone offends us, the thing we want to do is strike back, either verbally or physically. When someone has attacked someone in our family, circle of friends, job, or country, we view them as "the enemy" and create this wall of hate between us and them. We relish in making offensive jokes about them, gossiping, or rejoice in their injuries and deaths (in the case of an international enemy, especially). All of this flies in direct opposition to the message of Jesus.

The thing that I do not like about the Sermon on the Mount is that it unequivocally calls the Christian to a life of forgiveness and peace-making. It requires that we empty ourselves of our pride and selfishness. It demands that we make that terrifying leap of releasing our grudges and hate. It means forgiving people who have slighted us. It means not retaliating when we are harmed by others, but absorbing the sin and violence of the world in Christ-like love. It means taking seriously Christ's call to love our enemies, both at home and in other countries. How often at church or in our own prayers do we pray for the love of Christ to reach the terrorists that they might be saved and the fighting cease? If we are to take seriously the message of Jesus to love our enemies, that is something we must be doing. These uncomfortable commands mean I can wish no harm to any man, but only desire that they be saved and brought into the fellowship of Christ in peace.

What Jesus requires of us is so contrary to what we know to be "right." I am so often convicted by the way we try to rationalize the commands of Jesus in this area. "He didn't really mean it literally. He was just using hyperbole. Of course if someone hits you on one cheek you should hit them back. He was just saying we should be patient people." Why, if he did not really mean "love your enemies" did he not say something different. Why did he not say, "try to be patient with your friends and family, but as for those guys out there who hate you or would really like to kill you, it's alright to continue to dislike them and hope for their destruction." Jesus really meant what he said. He proved that he meant his sermon because he really lived it out! Jesus reached out to his enemies, rebuked Peter for violently defending Jesus in the garden, "opened not his mouth" when he was reviled and beaten, and he prayed for the forgiveness of those who harmed him. If we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ, we must also be prepared to meet violence, hatred, and oppression with love. This irritates me because I want to be the man that nobody will mess with. As a human being I want power, I want people to fear and respect me. We all want this. However, if we are to call ourselves Christians, we must throw away all of those desires and, as Paul says, make our attitudes to be the same as Christ who humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

I have to believe that in the attitude and example of Christ is true strength. It is so terrifying to think that being a Christian may mean being violently attacked and persecuted and not retaliating. It is scary to turn the other cheek, to love my enemies, to forgive sins against me, to release my grudges. It runs the risk of appearing weak to the world. The world will mock us because of it. However, it is what Christ has commanded us to do. All we can do is obey.