Intro Question: How does Jesus’ vision of righteousness challenge our ideas of success and power in relationships?
Key Passage: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44–45)
Devotional:
How does Jesus’ vision of righteousness challenge our ideas of success and power in relationships?
That’s the question we need to wrestle with, especially in a world obsessed with status, control, and self-promotion. We’re taught from a young age to look out for ourselves, to climb the social ladder, and to protect what’s ours. But then, Jesus comes along and flips everything on its head.
Jesus’ Way: Radical, Uncomfortable, and Beautiful
In Matthew 5:44–45, Jesus says something that cuts straight to our instincts: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.”
Love… your enemies?
It feels impossible. Every part of us wants to resist it. We want to protect ourselves, to fight back, to defend our image. But this is the radical nature of Jesus’ righteousness. He doesn’t just say “tolerate” your enemies. He says love them. He says pray for them.
It’s the kind of love that doesn’t make sense in a world where we’re constantly told to look out for number one. A love that pushes beyond what’s comfortable. And Jesus lived this out at every turn — choosing compassion over power, humility over pride.
And yet, for most of us, the idea of loving our enemies feels completely counterintuitive. But that’s where the stories of people who’ve lived this out — who’ve truly embraced Jesus’ radical way of righteousness — can speak to us.
The Story of Corrie ten Boom
Let me tell you about someone who lived this out in a way that seems impossible. Her name is Corrie ten Boom.
Corrie was a Dutch Christian during World War II, and her family actively helped Jewish people escape the Nazi Holocaust. Eventually, Corrie and her family were arrested, and she, along with her sister Betsie, were sent to Ravensbrück, a brutal Nazi concentration camp.
There, they endured unimaginable suffering. They were beaten, starved, and forced to work under horrific conditions. Betsie, Corrie’s sister, died in that camp. Corrie was devastated, broken by the cruelty she had witnessed and experienced.
After the war, Corrie was released, and she became a well-known speaker, sharing her story of God’s faithfulness through the darkest of times. But it was what happened at one of her speaking engagements that would test her understanding of Jesus’ command to love your enemies.
One day, after she had spoken about God’s forgiveness, a man approached her in the crowd. As he came closer, she recognized him instantly. He had been one of the guards at Ravensbrück — the very man who had stood watch as she and her sister had been stripped, humiliated, and abused.
And now he was standing before her, telling her how he had become a Christian after the war. He spoke of how deeply he had been touched by her words of forgiveness. And then, he stretched out his hand to her and asked for forgiveness.
Imagine being Corrie in that moment.
Her mind was flooded with memories of the horrors she had endured, the image of her sister’s frail body, the cruelty she had faced at the hands of this very man.
Could she forgive him?
Everything in her wanted to turn away. To deny him that forgiveness. To hold on to the bitterness and the pain.
But then she remembered Jesus’ words: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
In that moment, Corrie prayed. She asked Jesus to give her the strength, because she didn’t have it on her own. She knew she couldn’t love this man in her own power.
But Jesus did something miraculous.
As she prayed, she felt her hand lift, and she reached out to grasp his hand. She forgave him. And in that moment, she experienced a freedom unlike anything she had ever felt before.
This is the kind of radical love Jesus calls us to.
A Love That Costs Us Something
Corrie’s story shows us the reality of what it means to live out Jesus’ vision of righteousness. It’s not easy. It’s not comfortable. It goes against everything we feel. But it’s what sets us free.
When Jesus calls us to love our enemies, He’s not asking for a surface-level love. He’s asking for a love that costs us something.
It’s the kind of love that led Jesus to forgive the very people who nailed Him to a cross. The kind of love that reaches out, even when everything in us wants to turn away. It’s a love that refuses to hold onto bitterness or hatred, no matter how justified it might feel.
Jesus’ way of righteousness is radical because it’s not just about following rules. It’s about a transformation of the heart. It’s about learning to love in a way that reflects the heart of God — a love that sacrifices, a love that heals, a love that forgives.
A Different Kind of Greatness
And here’s where it hits home.
We live in a world that celebrates self-promotion, success, and power. We’re taught that life is about getting ahead, about making sure we’re in control.
But Jesus flips that script.
His way of righteousness isn’t about securing power or climbing the social ladder. It’s about laying down our pride, our anger, and our need to be right. It’s about serving others, loving those who’ve hurt us, and forgiving even when it feels impossible.
This is what true greatness looks like in the Kingdom of God. It’s not found in power or influence, but in sacrificial love.
Corrie ten Boom’s story challenges us to ask: Are we willing to embrace this kind of love? Are we willing to let go of our desire for revenge, our need to protect ourselves, and instead live out the radical love that Jesus calls us to?
The Challenge for Us Today
In a world that constantly tells us to look out for ourselves, Jesus is inviting us to live differently. To love differently.
He’s calling us to forgive when we’ve been wronged. To love our enemies, not just in words, but in action. To pray for those who’ve hurt us.
It’s not easy. It’s going to cost us something. But when we live this way, we reflect the heart of God to a world that desperately needs to see what true love looks like.
So, will we choose the radical, uncomfortable way of Jesus?
Because this is where true righteousness begins. Not in power, but in love. Not in control, but in forgiveness. Not in self-interest, but in sacrifice.
And that’s the kind of righteousness that changes everything.
Reflection Questions:
- How does Jesus’ vision of righteousness differ from the world’s definition of success and power?
- What are some ways you can embody Jesus’ radical love in your relationships, even with those who may be difficult to love?
- How can you use your influence and resources to serve others rather than seeking personal gain?
Prayer: “Jesus, Your vision of righteousness is so different from what the world teaches. Help me to live in a way that reflects Your love, humility, and compassion. Teach me to love my enemies, to serve others selflessly, and to find true greatness in humility and sacrifice. Amen.”
Devotional: What Makes Jesus’ Way of Righteousness So Radical? A Lesson From Corrie Ten Boom was originally published in GoodLion Theology on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
