Jesus calls us into a kingdom unlike any of the kingdoms of this world. We are called to pursue justice for all people, to care for those on the margins, to seek God’s will before our own. Jesus’ message conflicts with our common cultural messages, which tell us to seek our own profit at others’ expense, to look out for our own but not for those who are different. In a world that glorifies self-promotion and self-sufficiency, our Lord calls us to love.

Jesus did not come to bring a comfortable gospel. He came to bring a challenging gospel, one that calls us to oppose the powers of this world that harm, exclude, and instill hate. Following this gospel might even set us in opposition to our own friends and family. But the message Jesus brings is a message of salvation and of love for all people—and sometimes that requires taking a stand.

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