Hard Teachings
The society in which we live suggests in countless ways that the way to go is up. Making it to the top, entering the limelight, breaking the record—that’s what draws attention, gets us on the front page of the newspaper, and offers us the rewards of money and fame.
The way of Jesus is radically different. It is the way not of upward mobility but of downward mobility. It is going to the bottom, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place!
Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is the way to the Kingdom, the way Jesus took, and the way that brings everlasting life.
—Henri Nouwen
The Selfless Way of Christ
In John chapter 6, Jesus delivers some hard truths. His followers, we’re told, wrestle with His words, concluding, “This is a hard teaching, who can accept it?” Often, Jesus’ words were the antithesis of societal norms and expectations; the last will be first, the greatest will be servant to all; to die is to live—on and on. Which of His teachings are you wrestling with today? Is it to turn the other cheek when you’ve been stricken? Is it to go the extra mile when you’ve been taken advantage of? Is it to forgive when you’ve been repeatedly wronged? Is to love when someone is unlovable? Let us realize that Jesus’ love compelled Him to do all of these things for us! And then let us emulate Him, doing likewise. May the hard teachings become the disciplines that we live out loud before a watching—and Gospel needy—world. —DH
—David Hoskins, Founder & Care Guide, Sanctuary Clinics