592 - Embracing the Call to Radical Christianity Leaving Laodicea

Challenging the Status QuoWe live in a world where the term “radical” often evokes images of extremism and division and has developed a rather nasty reputation in our culture since the ’60s. Therefore, it may come as a surprise that at the very heart of Christian discipleship lies a call to a radically different way of life. This radical lifestyle is not about taking up arms or shouting louder than the voices of opposition. Instead, it’s about embracing a radical love, a radical commitment, radical obedience and sacrifice, and a radical transformation that only comes from fully embracing the life and teachings of Jesus Christ himself— who was the greatest radical who ever lived.
That’s right. Let that thought sink in for a moment.
What is a Radical, and Why Should I Care?But first, to set the stage, let’s define what the word “radical” means. According to Webster, “radical” is ‌defined as “something (or someone) new and different in contrast to what is traditional or ordinary.” In other words, being “radical” is a relative term based on a comparison with what society deems common or ordinary or what we refer to as the “status quo.” This means it is the ordinary and traditional aspects of a society that determine, right or wrong, if something (teachings or ideas) or someone (individual or actions) is radical or revolutionary. Consider that last statement carefully. Note where the power to make the determination lies (mainstream opinion and not actual truth). Do you see the problem?
When a culture refers to individuals or their beliefs and practices as radical, it means they are considered extreme, controversial, and even dangerous to the mainstream. And since they could harm the status quo by threatening change or something even more frightening, accountability— those accused of being radical are often marginalized, excluded, punished, canceled, and eventually eliminated for the good of the whole, or at least for the good of the power elites who govern the whole.
But What About Jesus?This compels us to address the question nobody wants to ask. Namely, is it OK, maybe even expected, for the Christian life to be viewed as radical by our lost and dying culture that rejects the claims and teachings of Christ? And if so, are our Christian ideas and actions supposed to challenge the status quo of our society (both secular and sacred) at this point in history? Or do we just blend into the woodwork and hope the culture will leave us alone to do the religious things we want? Which is it? You can’t have it both ways. But we all know that.
To answer this question, we need only look at Jesus’ teachings and how the mainstream reacted to His life. Were He and His message considered radical and revolutionary by the Jewish establishment of His time? Was He viewed as a threat, a danger to the profitable inner workings of their religious complex? How did they view, for example, His cleaning out the corruption in the Temple by overturning the tables of the money changers (Matt. 21:12-13)? How did they respond when He called them out as hypocrites and encouraged the people to follow God and not man-made traditions (Matt. 23)? And what did they finally do to silence His voice? Exactly.
It would appear, from any honest assessment, that the powers-to-be viewed Jesus as a radical and revolutionary and, as such, had Him put to death. And we are called to follow in His footsteps, to be the light of the world (which exposes darkness, John 3:19) and the salt of the earth (Matt. 5:13). Remember?
We Follow a Risen Savior (Who Was a Radical)Consider a brief overview of the radical life and teachings of our Lord. Let’s begin with some of His radical...