Dumbing down the words of Jesus into something we can do

Entry in Global Pastors Network:

As preachers and teachers, all of us know how easy it is to reduce the plain teaching of Jesus into something we can do. So instead of teaching as Jesus did that we are 'to sell our possessions and give to those in need' (Luke 12:33) we teach that giving a tithe to the church is enough.
Instead of teaching as Jesus did that 'we must not oppose those who want to hurt us' (Matthew 5:39) or 'give to everyone who asks of us, and don't refrain from lending to those who wish to borrow from us' (Matthew 5:42) we come up with watered down versions that leverage concepts like 'balance' and 'stewardship' to proportions that ultimately deny the words of Christ.

In short we take the words of Jesus and make them less demanding, more palatable to the base point of being kind and not upsetting the status quo.
No wonder our churches are so anemic. When we ask little of people, we get little. This is not the way of Jesus. Jesus asked of his disciples everything they had, and because he did, he got everything they had.

The mistake we make in dumbing down the words of Jesus is captured beautifully in the words of Soren Kierkegaard:
"The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly.” 
In dumbing down the words of Jesus, we are scheming swindlers.

Time to repent and teach what Jesus taught, even if we realize in teaching his words, how far we are from living them out. Better to teach what he taught even if it makes you an hypocrite, than dumbing down his words into something that makes you a saint.

Overcoming ISIS

Thinking about the gruesome terrors of ISIS and other such groups who resort to 'shock and awe tactics in suppressing others...
It is easy in the wake of such horrific violence to respond with violence. It is the way of the world. It is the way we protect ourselves.
But it is not the way of Jesus. 'He who lives by the sword dies by the sword.' 'Vengeance is mine' says the Lord. 

We don't like those verses because they put our lives at risk.

But for the first 3 centuries of the church, despite ISIS type persecution, the church of Christ did not strike back. They turned the other cheek. And rather than be crushed, the church flourished.
But in the 4th Century the church was co-opted by the Roman Empire. In exchange for becoming the state religion, the church embrace the way of the sword. The church sought the protection of Empire rather than the protection of Christ.

Not everyone of course, but enough that most Christians, me included, have lost the capacity to imagine a different response to violence than violence. We subscribe to the notions of 'redemptive violence' and the  'just war' theology of St. Augustine.
We desperately need to recover the imagination and courage to resort to another way. For the demise of Christianity isn't terrorism nor the sword of religious extremism. It comes when Christians abdicate the way of Christ for the sword. In doing so, we acquiesce to not believing in the power of Christ to prevail even if it costs us our lives.

How do we resist evil? Not by placating it. Nor by resorting to the weapons of this world.
We resist evil by standing against principalities and powers. By putting on the whole armour of God.
And by loving our enemies, turning the other cheek, speaking truth to power and declaring Christ's authority over the kingdoms of this world.
The New Testament makes no allowance for any other way. Jesus didn't teach that loving one's enemies, or turning the other cheek or forgiving one's enemies was optional. It is the way of Christ and when we choose some other way, it is no longer the way of Christ.

In all honesty, I wish the way of Jesus did allow for retaliation, that it did allow for an eye for an eye, but it doesn't. Without exception it doesn't.
The overwhelming message of the New Testament is that Love conquers all. That even though we are lambs being lead to slaughter we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Note that we are conquerors not because we beat down our enemies. We are conquerers even when we die at the hands of our enemies.
What an unbelievably hard message!
No wonder Christianity has so few disciples! But for the few there are, their light can never be snuffed out, and the kingdom they advance is the only kingdom that will remain.