Countercultural

Turn the other cheek. If someone slaps you in the face, don’t slap back – offer them the other cheek to slap as well.

We do all realize that this is Jesus talking, yes? There are many sayings that believers have adopted over the years that people think are actually in the Bible but are not. “God helps those who help themselves” is a common one. But that’s not the case with this cheek-slapping thing. It’s in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5. This is straight from the mouth of the Son of God.

Apparently, that doesn’t make any difference for some believers. About a year ago, Russell Moore, the editor of Christianity Today magazine, expressed his concern about the many pastors who had told him that they preached this passage on a Sunday morning and congregation members asked them where they got their liberal talking points.

Oh. My. Word. But there’s more. Moore says this:

What was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, “I’m literally quoting Jesus Christ,” the response would not be, ”I apologize.” The response would be, “Yes but that doesn’t work anymore. That’s weak.”

What?

What?!??!!?

I realize this is a very countercultural idea, turning the other cheek. When I read this story from Moore last weekend, I was with a Jewish friend and shared it with her. Her reaction was, “What? Jesus said THAT?” So, yeah, to the rest of the world, this is a pretty radical notion.

But to the Christian?  “That doesn’t work anymore”? Are you saying the teachings of Christ are outdated? That the world has changed in a way the the Lord of the universe didn’t know was coming so we don’t need to pay attention to him now? “Weak”? Jesus was weak?? This is what people (and apparently many people) who publicly claim the faith of Christ are saying to their pastors? Seriously??

If this doesn’t shake you up a bit, it should.

I’ve seen this quote from Brian Zahnd several times on Facebook lately and wish it could be proclaimed from every pulpit in the land:

The contemporary task of the church is to make Christianity countercultural again. . .

Let’s stop there a second. We are supposed to be countercultural. We are supposed to be different and strange enough to attract attention. If we are too much like everyone else, there’s a problem. Back to Zahnd:

. . . And once we untether Jesus from the interests of empire, we begin to see just how countercultural and radical Jesus’ ideas actually are. Enemies? Love them. Violence? Renounce it. Money? Share it. Foreigners? Welcome them. Sinners? Forgive them.

Can I get an amen, brothers and sisters? Love your enemies. Welcome the foreigners and forgive the sinners. This is NOT the way the world works . . . and that’s the whole point. We are not of this world.

Weak. Sweet Jesus – help your church. Remind us that when we are weak, then we are strong.

(And for the record, yes, that one’s in the Bible, too – 2 Cor 12:10.)