A friend made the following (edited) observation on Facebook: “I don’t believe those committing all of these atrocities are “radicalized Muslims.’ They are Muslims–that is all they are–Muslims. When you study the life of Mohammad and realize that he was a rapist, murderer, pedophile, and believed in the slavery of women; and consider how Muslims are taught to idolize their ‘great prophet,’ it should not surprise anyone that they want to emulate the one they are taught to idolize. Some might ask, ‘Then why aren’t all Muslims doing these things?’ The answer: they simply never really bought into the teachings of the Quran, though they believe they have, or they know it but prefer to let others do their dirty work and keep silent.”*
As I read this statement I was struck by his answer to the question “why aren’t all Muslims doing these things?” that they have never truly bought into Mohammad’s teachings in the Quran. It occurred to me that even as “the prophet” is to be the role model for all Muslims even so Christians teach that the one we are to emulate is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
But how many wear the name Christian and yet have never bought into the teachings of the Bible? It was disciples who were first called Christians (Acts 11:26) and the mark of discipleship is to become like the Master (Matthew 10:25). Still many want to wear the name Christian without truly buying in to the concept of discipleship.
Jesus practiced love for His enemies and taught His disciples to do the same. “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be save by His life” (Romans 5:10). We want the reconciliation, do we want to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44) as a disciple or do we seek at best to ignore them or even harm them?
On the cross Jesus prayed “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) and taught His disciples, “If [your brother] sins against you seven time a day, and returns to your seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him” (Luke 17:4). Do we forgive all sins against us or do we keep score, judge another’s motives, and hold grudges?
Jesus spent a considerable amount of His time in prayer and solitude with His Father. Even when large crowds were seeking Him, “Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray” (Luke 5:16). And when His disciples asked Him, He taught them to pray (Luke 11:1). In addition to personal prayer, there are numerous examples in Acts of the church meeting to pray for strength in persecutions, for the sick, for prisoners, for evangelistic efforts. And we have the advantage of the completed Word of God given to us that we can read at any time, but how often do we commune with Him? For many, an hour or two a week is enough; but that is hardly true discipleship.
Think of the life of Jesus: His compassion, His love, His mercy, His companions, His sacrifice of possessions, His submission to the Father, His rejection of human traditions, His commitment to His purpose, and then remember it is the goal of a disciple to be like his Master. Those who live like this might be called “radical Christians” by others; but the truth is all they are are Christians. Christians who have totally bought into the complete life and teachings of Jesus Christ!
WM (All scripture quotations from NASB)
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*I have only used this as an example and intend to make no political statement.