Joe

What do we do when God isn’t like God? When I say that I am pointing to those parts of the Bible that portray God as doing something other than, for example, causing the sun to rise on the evil and the good.

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What is God like? Or maybe, since this is an exploration of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, a better question would be, “What is the God Jesus calls Father, like?”

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What do children do?

While there is so much to cover in the next segment of the Sermon on the Mount, I think that is the first essential question we need to reflect on. Jesus continues saying:

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This week explored what can only be described as Jesus’ resistance revolution. After all, embracing the resistance wisdom of Jesus invites dramatic social change. That is the ultimate point of being the light of the world. By shining in the darkness you expose injustice and invite cultural transformation.

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Like and turning the other cheek and getting naked, going the second mile is an act of resistance. It is part of a reframed spirituality that seeks to upend the power structures in the ancient world. It exposes injustice and insists on a recognition of universal human dignity. As with our previous examples of resistance, I lean heavily on the research of Walter Wink (affiliate). This time, it focuses specifically on occupying Roman armies.

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The second way Jesus tells people to resist, is to get naked. But it is a purposeful nakedness that plays with a cultural understanding of shame. In the process, it serves as a light of the world. That is a lot to take from the words, “and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your tunic as well.” So let me explain and draw a modern equivalent to getting naked. Once again, Walter Wink (affiliate) will be our guide.

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