Taking Jesus Messages more seriously

What are some radical teachings of Jesus? What are some ideas Jesus’ presented that were counter-cultural. Against the current practice.

examples: turn the other cheek, love your enemies, doing good to those who hurt you. Forgive 70x7…doing good deeds on Sabbath.

What I think stands out about much of those radical ideas of Jesus were that they weren’t prophetic, in the sense that they were teaching or training his listeners for a far away day, or even how things would be in Heaven. He was speaking to his listeners present. As we are reading his teachings in scripture, He is still speaking into our present day.

Luke 9:23–26 ESV

And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Lets identify some key points in this teaching.

One the first times Jesus talks about the cost of discipleship.

Denying one’s self:—setting aside personal interest for the sake of the Kingdom—essentially personal sacrifice, skin in the game

Taking up your cross daily- a foreshadow of what would literally happen to Jesus---but understanding following the call into discipleship means responsibility every day.

whoever would save their life would lose it. -By seeking to avoid the potential hardships associated with following Jesus, a person ends up losing his or her life.

alternatively Jesus says whoever loses his life would save it. -Those who embrace Jesus’ call to discipleship—including the difficulties it brings—will be saved.

ashamed of Jesus---

You and I may feel we cannot be too direct with the children and youth of today. We don’t want to put big demands and expectations on them in case we scare them off Christianity.

The chapter in the Growing Young book we are looking at today suggests the opposite. In this chapter the researchers say that the children and youth of today are not so concerned about what will happen when they die, not so concerned about getting their ticket to heaven. What appeals to this generation is to be challenged to a truly radical, Jesus like life-style where the things they say and do will make a real difference in the world – they are not so concerned about being saved from hell as they are about being saved to live a significant life now.