Is He Serious?

I wonder when Jesus was teaching if people listened to what he said and thought to themselves, "Is he serious?"  There are times in scripture where Jesus was teaching and you can almost sense the people thinking, "There is no way I could ever do that." Jesus said some amazing things and yet some of his teachings are simple yet so complex.  I was talking with one of my students and she told me she had heard me quote the scripture"You must love one another..." I think I was speaking on how love forgives and covers over all wrong doing in our lives.  You could tell that something had happened in her life that was awful and she had been holding onto it for a long time.  She came to me and asked, "Do I really have to forgive people?"  Great question and yet the fact remains that most of us struggle with one or more  of Jesus' teachings. It's not that we don't understand it, we just have a hard time doing it.  I think when we look at the teachings of Jesus we think "Is He serious?"  There is no way that I could ever be that type of person nor could I ever do what he asks.  So I wonder what teaching do you struggle with? What teaching seems like it comes from another planet because you couldn't imagine yourself doing that.  Here are some examples...

Peter asked, "Lord how many times should I forgive my brother when he sins against me, up to seven times?"

Jesus answered. "I tell you not seven times but seventy-seven times!"

Jesus taught: Love your enemy's...  Do good to those who hate you...  Bless those who curse you!

Jesus taught: Pray for those who mistreat you...  If someone strikes you on the cheek, turn to him the other also...  If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your Tunic...  If anyone takes something from you, do not demand it back...

Jesus taught: Give to everyone who asks you...  Do unto others as you would have them do to you...  You must love one another...  Take your possessions give them to the poor and follow me...

Jesus taught: If anyone wants to be first, He must be the very last and the servant of all...  If I have washed your feet, shouldn't you wash each others feet?

  

Is he serious?  ABSOLUTELY!!  You and I may think that many of these things are impossible but nothing is impossiable with God.  A week later the same student came up to me and told me that she talked to the man who hurt her.  She knocked on his door asked him to come outside and told him that she forgave him.  She was not mad anymore and she in a weird way loved him.  He expressed his sorrow as well and she walked away looking like Jesus.  "Greater is He that lives in you then the one in the world."

So what teachings do you find hard?  What do you struggle with?  What is God calling you to right now in your life?