Matthew 5:38-41 “You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles.”

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it abundantly clear, from the outset of his ministry, that following him was not going to be like anything people had seen before. Though Jesus had been raised a Jew, and began his ministry preaching to Jews, this teaching sent shockwaves through their communities. Suddenly retaliation or retribution wasn’t the ‘fair’ thing to do. An “eye for an eye” had suddenly given way to demonstrating love in the face of anger, hatred and even injustice. Even the hated Romans, who could conscript a Jew to carry his pack and gear for a mile, were to be shown extra consideration!  It became evident to the apostles that following Jesus would certainly require a different way of thinking, acting, and seeing things. He would set the example. To be a follower of Christ is to live in such a way that you stand out – simply because the rest of the world does it differently. When a “Christian” fails to act contrary to the world (and in keeping with the word), it presents a wrong picture of what being Christian is…and suddenly our words and actions don’t line up. The word for that is: hypocrisy.

Pray: Lord God, if I am to call myself a follower of your Son, help me to aware at all times of how my words and actions are lining up. Let me never do anything to reflect poorly on your or to misrepresent in any way the example your Son left for all of us to follow. Let me hold my words and actions up against the worlds…and when they are similar, let me be the one to change. Guide me in this today, Lord I humbly ask in Jesus wonderful name – Amen.