The Divine Standard

One of the things I’ve noticed recently about keyboard warriors is that they rarely live the message they proclaim. This is not limited to Christians. It seems lately that everyone is ready and willing to offer advice and demand behavior shifts to anyone and everyone who is ‘lucky enough’ to read the comment section.

It is now vogue to bash your enemies online while secretly in your own life, failing to live up to the standards you espouse. I believe this is what Christ was addressing in today’s Gospel lesson.

The Lord said, “Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Matthew 5:42-48

The Old Testament Law was meant to guide the people of God into a higher standard of moral code. The ‘Divine Standard’ calls each of His followers to love in the same way He loves. Too bad so many of us fail in this simple commandment. We are so quick to point out the failings in others, we blatantly ignore our failings.

God’s message has always been counterculture, no matter what century. When Christ asks, “Do not even the tax collectors do the same?” He is calling us to a higher standard than society. In the political sphere, it is expected that kindness and compassion are only offered to those of similar, or at the very least non-opposing, views.

If you think compassion is important to show your fellow human beings, then it shouldn’t matter what they believe. Being like Christ includes being compassionate even to those who hate you. There is nothing more counterculture than having compassion on those who disagree with you, let alone those who hate you. But that is exactly what Christ is calling us to do.

In our contemporary American society, any objective observer would admit, the attitude toward the Christian moral code is eroding at a frightening speed. Not to worry! We’ve been here before as Christians. In fact, when Christ challenged His followers to “be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” He was preaching in a much more adversarial pagan world.

It’s ok to share your thoughts online. Just, don’t demand others live as you think they should. It is not your role to demand strangers live any way. We can only live our ‘Divine Standard’ and allow our life to be the example. Leave the rest to God.

Do you want to inspire others to have compassion? Start with having compassion on your enemies. If others are in way inclined to live as God desires, they will witness your compassion, and quickly follow suit.