1 Thessalonians 5:15
“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.”

Soooo, no more “an eye for an eye”? What about my honor? Wait, is honor being humble before the Lord? This gets complicated in a hurry because it turned everything so upside down: What was important before, a bedrock of society, is now a sin and it’s wrong? How’d that happen? What about my honor? What about my pride? What about my standing? What about my rights? My entitlements? And Christ answered through his teachings: what about it?

Following Christ means understanding how far we are from being like Him, and consequently how far we are from a God who demands perfection as prerequisite to be in His presence. Christ provides us that we know, and at a cost. One of the costs is pride. Humbling yourself before God doesn’t leave any room for pride. It only leaves room for gratitude that we are loved by a God so powerful, so awesome.

Christ turned the world upside down when he taught that an eye for an eye mentality was wrong. Take the log out of your eye.  I, your Lord, have washed your feet, you should wash one another’s. A servant it’s not greater than his master. The sermon on the mount. (The links should take you there)

It’s a radical approach to life, one that should be attracting, not repelling. But the world hates peace and love. It says it holds those values, but look at the results. Anything short of following Christ’s teachings is short of following His teachings. Yes there are many who proclaim Christ and still live in the world and it’s worldly ways. You probably know some of them. Well, warn those who are disruptive. 1thes 5:14

While Christ turned the world upside down, what He really did was turn it right side up. We are called to do our part, humbly, turning the other cheek in all things, including when we’re ostracized for following Christ, in gratitude for the blessings received and yet to be received in His glory. It’s time to get to work.