For those who would be followers of Jesus of Nazareth, the motivations and impulses of the world around us are NOT acceptable for us to imitate! Folks in the wider world have a multitude of grievances (real and imagined) which give rise to feelings of anger, resentment, bitterness, hatred, and a desire for vengeance. Unfortunately, many of the folks who surround us give in to the impulse to lash out at the folks whom they perceive to have offended, provoked, wronged, or hurt them. In short, many of us are motivated by a desire to "even the score," punish, or defeat those whom we perceive to be our enemies.
This, however, was NOT the way that Jesus Christ looked at the world. In his famous "Sermon on the Mount," Christ said: "God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy," and "God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way." (Matthew 5:7, 11-12, NLT here and throughout) He went on to say: "You have heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.’ But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!" (5:21-22)
Some will read those words of Christ and think, "That's too much - that goes against my grain!" Jesus, however, did not stop there! He continued: "You have heard the law that says the punishment must match the injury: ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say, do not resist an evil person! If someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too. If a soldier demands that you carry his gear for a mile, carry it two miles. Give to those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." (5:38-48) In other words, for Christ, the standard way of dealing with other people was unacceptable!
When teaching his disciples about how to pray, Christ told them to pray that God would "forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us." (Matthew 6:12) He went on to elaborate: "If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins." (6:14-15)
Moreover, in dealing with each other, Christ went on to say: "Do not judge others, and you will not be judged. For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged. And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’ when you can’t see past the log in your own eye? Hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye." (Matthew 7:1-5) Jesus then summarized the principle by saying: "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets." (7:12)
And Jesus practiced what he preached. He always treated the people who came to hear him and ask for his help with kindness and compassion. Sure, Christ could be harsh with those who mistreated those who were inferior to them in power, prestige, and wealth. Even so, his objective was always to motivate humans to treat each other with kindness, mercy, and compassion. Indeed, when he was hanging on the cross, Christ prayed: "Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)
Compare that with: "If someone hits me, I hit them harder!" "If someone disrespects me, I will destroy them!" "If someone hurts me or my interests, I will take everything they have!" "I will never forgive him/her!" "I won't stop until I have my revenge!" "I will not stop until I make you pay for what you have done to me!" In short, many of us tend to hold on to hurts and grudges like a child holds on to their blanket or Teddy bear! Unfortunately, so many of us are inclined to indulge our worst instincts and impulses. Nevertheless, as we have seen, this is NOT the way for anyone who would claim to be a follower of Jesus of Nazareth to behave!
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