The Way of Jesus is Hard

The way of Jesus, the way that infuses life into our souls, is hard.  Jesus said so.  He said it’s the narrow way, the hard way.  It’s the way that few people choose.  Most of us opt for the easy way, the way that keeps taking us to the same destructive destinations. (Matthew 7:13-14)

But those who choose the way of Jesus do hard things.  They grow food for the hungry, dig wells for the thirsty, open their doors to strangers, sew cloths for the naked, give medicine to the sick and visit the imprisoned. (Matthew 25:31-46)

I am often offended by the way of Jesus.

Take, for example, the very idea of inviting a stranger into my home.  I’m reluctant to house some of my own family members, much less a stranger!  But Jesus said that inviting a stranger in is actually making him [Jesus] my guest.  No pressure there!  

I once heard T.W. Hunt, one of the great saints now absent from the body and present with the Lord, tell a story about a “stranger” who knocked on his door.  He was a man who had recently shown up at T.W.’s church looking to make a change, hoping to be discipled in the way of Jesus by seasoned disciples, like T.W. and his wife Laverne.  To paraphrase a line from a Toby Keith song, this guy looked like a great big biker man.    

After praying it over they decided to invite this strange man into their home to live with them.  And he was indeed strange.  They worked on everything from personal hygiene to personal prayer time.  Needless to say, it was a great challenge for this saintly couple.  But they were determined to believe Jesus and take his teachings seriously.  So, discipleship continued daily.  Eventually, the stranger became a deacon in the church.  The hard way infuses life.    

The way of Jesus, the way that infuses life into our souls, is hard.  Jesus said so.

The word “stranger” in Matthew 25 is the Greek word xenos.  It literally means “alien” or “foreigner.”  We get our English word xenophobia from it, “the fear of foreigners.” 

So, when Jesus spoke these words he wasn’t just telling individuals to open their homes to strangers, he was saying that his kingdom is the kind of kingdom that opens its borders to foreigners, to immigrants, to refuges.   

  

I’m not a politician and I have little interest in attempting to shape national policy (like I even could).  I find that I have very little influence within the kingdoms of the world, including the one in which I live.  So, I mostly try to influence those who consider themselves citizens of the kingdom of God. 

And here’s what I’m trying to say.  Whatever our political affiliation and/or opinions, if you and I are interested in following the teachings of Jesus (also known as “being Christians”) then we must honestly grapple with what he’s inviting us to do for immigrants.  We must ask ourselves what it will look like to choose the way of Jesus.  In other words, those who honestly want to be followers of Jesus must take what he said seriously.

Of course, we won’t get it right much of the time.  Of course, the teachings of Jesus challenge us, offend us, scare us.  But remember, Jesus is the one who has “the words of eternal life.”  (John 6:68)

The way of Jesus is hard, but it’s the way that infuses life into our souls.  Jesus said so.