It’s amazing how the rebellious and radical message of Christ can be made to be so tame and weak in mainstream Christian culture. It always bothers me when Christ’s message is watered down and considered safe. Christ was counter-cultural when he spoke the words and he is counter-cultural now when we read his words. The Beatitudes are an example of his extreme message of love, courage and vulnerability.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
The dictionary says “poverty denotes serious lack of the means for proper existence”. Other words for poverty are need and want. Being poor in spirit means recognizing that we have a “serious lack of the means for proper existence”. Those who recognize their need for spiritual life are blessed. Recognizing this want and this longing are the very keys to receiving life. The ones who will never experience the true life are those who don’t even recognize that they are in need. These are people in denial.
Reading the Beatitudes recently has confronted me with the idea that Jesus was talking about love, courage and vulnerability. He speaks of poverty, mourning, humility, hunger, mercy, purity, peacemaking and the persecuted. I realized that every one of these characteristics requires vulnerability. There is a danger in living this way.
Jesus knew this danger very well. He was living that way knowing that it would take him straight to the cross. He taught us to live in love and vulnerability so that we could experience life to the fullest. That road is still filled with heartache and suffering though. Do you want to know love? Then you must know suffering as well.
The reason Jesus’ message is so radical is because he teaches and then models what it means to love. His message cost him serious physical, emotional and spiritual pain. But in the end he changed the world forever with his sacrifice. He has called us to this same love. This love requires courage and vulnerability. There can be no closed heart on this road. There can be no coward when it comes to pain.
We don’t need to look for suffering or bring it upon ourself. There is already enough in this world! We need to love courageously and bring out this longing for God in others. This is worthwhile. Just don’t think that following Jesus is a way to avoid suffering and pain. Hurt will come but also remember that the Holy Spirit is our comforter in those times. Plus Jesus encourages us because he showed us how to endure suffering.
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Love with courage and vulnerability. This is what Jesus modeled for us. This is who God is. This is the vulnerability and courageous love that we want lived out in The Movement.
-Andy Hackett
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