Is Christianity Unreasonable?

What would you do if you had a friend -- one whom you saw immense potential for good in -- and that friend began to talk about how it was inevitable that they would soon be harassed by those who did not like them and it would end in their own death?

Would you for starters say something like:  "No way!  Let's make sure that doesn't happen!...even "I'll protect you!"

I know I would.  Why would I allow my friend, who has such potential for good...to just go walking on into his own death.  I'd want to try stop it!

In Matthew 16 -- just after Peter has declared that Jesus is the King who would save His people -- Jesus starts talking about how when they get to Jerusalem, the religious leaders were going to persecute Him and kill Him.

Peter exclaims:  "Surely not Lord!  This shall never happen!"

Given the well-meaning intentions of Peter, Jesus' response seems a tad harsh:  "Get behind me Satan!  You are a hindrance to me.  For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

Jesus follows this by saying things like:

"If you want to follow my you must deny yourself and take up your cross"

"whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it"

I titled this post:  "Is Christianity (that is--following Jesus) Unreasonable?"

Here is the answer:  Yes...and NO.

From the perspective of our world -- let's be honest, it sounds unreasonable.  I mean, Jesus give Peter a break right?  He was just trying to save your butt!  We'd all do it!  So from this standpoint it would seem Jesus is being unreasonable -- His commands to give up our own lives to gain life--is by all means crazy sounding!

But then why does Jesus say it?  Perhaps Jesus sees something we don't...knows something we don't? Jesus pointed out Peter's problem:  'you have your mind set on the things of man, and not on the things of God' ... don't we all have that mindset naturally?

But Jesus viewed things from a different perspective--what we might say is an "unnatural perspective":  Jesus viewed life from the perspective of the Kingdom of God. In fact Jesus came to establish a New Kingdom...a New Way of Life.  But it is a Kingdom that is far different than the examples of this worlds Kingdoms.  The ways of the world will not get us to it...It is a Kingdom that is gained by giving up all that we hold so tightly to.

Jesus continued:  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits His life?"

Jesus' point is that our lives are meant for more than the temporary, fleeting things of "this world" -- Our lives are created to be lives that eternally reflect the Image of God through knowing Him intimately.  But to know Him intimately requires an exchange -- our old, dying and fleeting life and all of it's "values" for a New and Eternal Life that is ours NOW in Jesus.

Beware of like Peter--one minute confessing Jesus as Lord...and the next moment chasing the things of the world.  We are all prone to it-- but let us press more and more into Jesus and seek more and more of HIM...give up your life and the pursuits that rob your soul of Life and Life to the full today!

 Accept the Good News of Jesus daily--the Good News that gives us life and life to the full in Jesus.  This life came to us by "unreasonable means":  it's not reasonable that Jesus would die for you and me when we did nothing to deserve it or earn it--and we never can. -- But His Love for you made it reasonable from the perspective of the New Kingdom that He is establishing and wants you in!

Let's live "unreasonable lives" of faith -- trusting Jesus and following Him wherever He leads--even if it is to "Jerusalem" -- where suffering and even death awaits.  For the Life He gives far outweighs anything we can give up!

(if you are one who reads this and something stirs within you, and yet it all seems "out of reach"--I'd love to talk more in person!)