I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another. By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves]. –John 13:34-35
There are many pictures coming out of Baltimore. Many words have been written and spoken. All of them are polarizing in one way or another. But perhaps none should stir us as much as the moment captured above. And there’s a reason for that.
Jesus is shining in that little boy giving water to the Police.
And for a bit more clarity, there are only white policemen in that picture. In the midst of racially motivated disruption and destruction, this child instigates one of the greatest displays of self-sacrificial love I’ve ever seen.
It’s not difficult to pick up a sign and protest this or that. It’s not hard to speak out against issues we feel contradict what we feel is right and acceptable. It’s easy to condemn.
However…
It’s tough to:
1. Keep our mouths shut and serve
2. Show a young woman who’s had an abortion that she’s more valuable than she ever thought.
3. Wrap our arms around a homosexual and invite them to share in our lives.
4. Put ourselves in the position of an ethnic minority and view the world through their lens.
5. Stop judging and ask, how can I help you?
But it should be easy because it was for Jesus and we’re called to be like him.
Jesus was motivated by self-sacrificial love. In fact, self-sacrificial love is what he is. And so much of the time our actions are spurred by fear. It’s fear that can lead us to the belief, the end justifies the means. Or exclusion, division, control, etc.
Stop these riots by whatever means necessary! Get our kids off the street by whatever means necessary! We often sacrifice the way Jesus lived and the principles he taught in order to bring about a conclusion we feel he would want. Violence to stop violence. Harsh words to stop negative behavior. Hoping for a traumatic event in someone’s life we feel could turn them back to God. We sacrifice Jesus to bring Jesus. It’s a startling contradiction.
But know this; the end does not justify the means. Jesus had the opportunity to walk in the end justifies the means mentality in the desert. Satan offered him the entire world if he would just kneel to him. We often dismiss this because Jesus kneeling to Satan just sounds ridiculous.
But think about it. Jesus could’ve been at the top of every kingdom on earth, which is what we want. We want the kingdom of God to reign here on earth. Satan doesn’t tempt us with ludicrous things but rather with things that matter to us in some way. But Jesus knew that if he agreed, everything from that point on would be tainted by the world system. And he came to destroy that system.
“Love is the greatest gift of all.” – 1 Cor. 13:3
The instant we sacrifice love, we’re wrong. It doesn’t matter how or what. The moment we stop serving, we are outside of the kingdom Jesus came to establish. That’s why that kid is so beautiful. It the midst of chaos that is the world system, his feet are smack dab in the middle of God’s kingdom. And I know Jesus is standing next to him with a smile saying, well done.
Think about the way you’ve reacted to, not only the Baltimore riots, but the flurry of racially motivated issues over the last 6 months or so. Or any hot button issue. What have you said or done? What kind of behavior have you elevated as heroic? In response, would Jesus say, well done or I’d like to show you a different way?
There are more hot button issues coming down the pipeline. Issues that will challenge us and stir an emotional response. What kingdom do we want to look like when they begin to surface? Who do we want to look like?
I want to look like that kid passing out water. I want to look like love. I want to look like Jesus.
Blessings,
Jesse and Kara
http://www.facebook.com/jesse.birkey
http://www.amazon.com/author/jessebirkey
Comments
This is love
by Anonymous
Hi Jesse,
I agree with this post but I have to say the 'keep your mouth shut' part is exactly what has got us where we are in this nation. This nation was established by God to be salt and light to the rest of the world. This nation is supposed to be God's Kingdom on earth. Preachers took up arms and fought and died to establish this nation for that very purpose. Keeping our mouths shut got us prayer and Bible removed from schools, secular humanism/communism/socialism/ marxism and more taught in our schools and universities, legalized abortion, a gigantic open closet door, and a foreign-born muslim in charge of it all. We have a generation of young black men rebelling against law and authority just to have an excuse to rob and destroy what others have built. Why aren't the churches evangelizing places like these inner cities where the riots are starting? Why are there no fathers raising these boys? I guess the church has kept it's mouth shut while one gay person caused a nation-wide raucous that destroyed the life-work of a grandma christian florist. Where is the outcry from the black preachers regarding these riots by thugs? God established this nation as a safe base for us to evangelize the world from to show them how living a Godly life looks. Australia just sent out a message to the rest of the world to pray for America urgently because if America falls who will stand for Israel? Who will be the salt and light? We sit back with our mouths shut while they throw the constitution (established by God and Godly men) out the window and blatantly dare us to do anything about it. Yes we are to love and serve but Jesus is also our WARRIOR KING...the CAPTAIN OF THE HOSTS of the Lords Army. We are that army. That's why we have armor (Eph 6:10). Why is our Federal government running rampant and unchecked so that it has grown to enormous, monsterous size?
Who has taken Billy Graham's place in America? Where are the stadiums full of people coming to God? Where are the crusades televised on regular prime time tv? Where is the passion and patriotism for this God-given nation?
Anyway, not arguing with you just asking Christians to step out of the world system and wake up and SPEAK UP like Peter on the day of Pentecost when 3000 came to God in one day and the church grew (in size and closer to God) by leaps and bounds. I'm glad Christians in our Congress spoke up and invited Netanyahu and blessed Israel and are standing for her! I'm glad Christian companies across this country spoke up about being forced to pay for abortions through Obamacare! I'm glad Nathan Deal's (Gov of Georgia) first act as governor was to put Gideon Bibles back into hotel rooms and all tourism industry! And I really, really hope more towns refuse to be converted to Sharia law! This is a CHRISTIAN NATION and it's our DUTY to SPEAK UP to keep it that way.
Blessings,
Lori Jett
P.S. love your posts and share them out to large group of friends who also share them!
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