Divorce, Murder and Lying In The Everyday Life of Normal Christians
I know, it does not seem necessary to talk to “Christian” people about divorce, murder and lying yet Jesus specifically makes these unpleasantries issues that need to be discussed in his famous Sermon on the Mount.
Seriously; why would good followers of Jesus need to be schooled about failed relationships when, obviously, love, especially Christian love, can overcome virtually every possible scenario that might arise in a Christian marriage? Or, who could possibly conceive of a Jesus loving Christian contemplating murder? Or, what Christian man or woman would ever vacillate on telling the truth or just simply being honest? Really!
Jesus must have been reading the local newspaper, because we see this kind of behavior happening every day. In fact telling Christians not to divorce, murder and lie is like telling a dog not to get fleas; it just happens; that does not make it right, but it happens. I think these things would happen more if we did not have Jesus style accountability.
To prove the point I would like to devise an experiment. Put me in a room with a gallon of Haagen Dazs ice cream, a double chocolate cake, a half gallon of whole milk, and a diet book and see what happens. I guarantee that I will not eat the diet book.
Kidding aside, I know that if you set certain standards that people will rise to them, even if those standards seem impossible. Everybody knows the story about running the four minute mile. Nobody ever did it and everybody thought it was impossible until Roger Bannister broke the barrier. Now athletes commonly achieve the impossible.
Jesus set “impossible” standards, too. No divorce, no anger, total honesty. Obviously some people do not divorce and most others hate it even when it is necessary. Clearly most Christians don’t murder and hate it when anger controls their lives. It goes without saying that the sting of being dishonest is at least mildly painful.
Do you know why we “have to” have impossible standards to achieve? They drive us to greater levels of loving in a world that is desperate. How can we cure poverty, establish world peace, or truly make a difference in the world if we do not have standards to drive us and pull us beyond the easy mundane ways of being. It is impossible.
Our biggest problem is that we settle for less than we can be. What we are is good, and I do not want to beat you up for being good by saying that you can be better. But there is more personal fulfillment and life to be lived in aspiring to the higher standard of being better. There is greater love to be experienced than what you know of; love more! You are good, and you can be better.
Even you can break the four minute mile of Christian loving. The Christian life demands more than what you can achieve not because God wants to frustrate you with impossible goals that can never be achieved, like never being angry again. But the higher standards of Christian love does offer the most personally rewarding and fulfilling life you could every imagine by exceeding your own limitation and expectations, like helping other people in places and situations that you never dreamed of.
What would happen if you drop your personal limitations and loved the way God loves?
I love you– Bryan Martin
