JP32: THE GREAT DEMOTION

Beaten and bound in stocks Paul and Silas sat in a dark Philippian jail.  About midnight, the two began singing and worshipping God while the other prisoners listened.  Suddenly, an earthquake shook the prison to its foundations. How they responded illustrates the kind of love that transforms and reveals who we truly are.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. (Matthew 5:43–48).

In this sweeping sermon, Jesus continues to clarify a new and better ethic for mankind.  Today, Jesus addresses a cultural norm that limited love for people based on social and religious affiliation.  Loving those who belonged to the nation of Israel while antagonizing their enemies was the predominant, accepted tradition.  Jesus completely overhauls their misconception and guides us to actions that lead to cultural transformation.

Demote All Competing Identities

Jesus means for us to understand that transformational love flows from our identity as children of the Father.  Children of the Father learn to love people who are hard to love - as a habit.  Even people who antagonize or think the worst of us without cause.  

As long as our operating identity takes a back seat to our identity as a child of the Father, people will not be able to distinguish us as actual followers of Jesus, rendering all of our religiosity worthless.  This is why we must demote all identities that compete with Jesus for first place.  Cling only to the Father and your identity as an ambassador for Christ.

Commit To Love As Jesus Did

Rather than antagonism or neutral stances toward the enemies of your faith, Jesus calls for intentional, wise, and engaging love. Hanging from a crude wooden cross by nails, consider the following statement from Jesus to His executioners:

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Himself the object of the greatest injustice ever committed, Jesus refused to speak with anger or ill toward his executioners.  Instead, he actively sought their good by asking his heavenly Father to forgive them. John, the apostle, learned this principle well and provides a helpful point here:

“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” (1 John 3:18)

It’s the kind of love that God exhibits daily by sending rain on the just and the unjust and a helpful reminder that His choice to do so brings about the best for mankind.

Remember That The Goodness Of God Leads People To Change

God's character is such that he wants the best for everyone.  That's why he blesses both the evil and the good.  It's also a reminder that God is not asking us to do something that he hasn't already done.  We can bless people who give evil for good because the act reflects the goodness and mercy of God to a broken world.

Paul explains God’s intent:

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4).

When we love people as Jesus did, we partner with God to reconcile a broken world filled with broken people to Him.  Our patience and forbearance with those who oppose us stand out to a world looking for examples of unconditional love.

Focus On Your Heavenly Reward

All that we do to love people well will be rewarded in heaven.  This means that even now, the Father is assigning eternal value to the ways you sacrifice to love others well.  A value that is based in the eyes of God, not in temporary value structures and earthly identities.  

Paul and Silas knew well the need to focus on eternal rewards rather than present circumstances.

The earthquake loosened their bonds and opened their cells, providing an opportunity for rapid escape.  Startled awake from sleep and seeing the prison in shambles, the jailer assumed that all the prisoners had escaped.  Knowing that he would be killed for losing control of the prisoners, he pulled his sword to take his own life.  That’s when Paul called out from the dark, imploring the jailer to not take his life, ensuring him that all the prisoners were still there.  

Instead of escaping, Paul and Silas showed uncommon love to their captor.  The jailer responded with gratitude and whole hearted belief in Jesus.  As a result, he and his whole family were baptized and became true followers of Jesus themselves.  (See Acts 16:16-40)

Paul and Silas chose to demote their identity as Roman citizens and endured hardship to love differently.  What identity do you need to demote?

Prayer: Father, thank you for loving me when I was opposed to you.  Empower me to lay down my life and all competing identities so that your life and love can extend through me to a broken world.  Keep my heart and mind focused on the eternal rewards that you assign when sacrifices are needed to love when I want to remain neutral.  Amen

The Great Demotion: Freeing Yourself To Love Differently

1. Demote All Competing Identities:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Co 5:17–21)

2. Commit To Love As Jesus Did

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. (Luke 23:34)

3. Remember That The Goodness Of God Leads People To Change

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)

4. Focus On Your Heavenly Reward

If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (Matthew 5:46)

Photo by Iulia Mihailov on Unsplash