Mastering Grace: The Art of Over-Underreaction

We can learn a lot about ourselves by our reactions, right? By monitoring our reactions. You monitor your reactions, you learn a lot about yourself because, and I'm the same way but I'm picking on you, you are so predictable, right? I mean, we are all so predictable when it comes to our reactions. [00:02:34]

What if there was a way to harness the power of a reaction or even an overreaction for something good? And what if there was a way to harness the power of reaction for something good? And Jesus says there is a way, and Jesus says we can do it. In fact, Jesus says we should do it. [00:04:40]

Jesus consistently viewed being treated unjustly, being treated unfairly, and being treated unkindly as an opportunity, an opportunity to react in such a way that people stop and stare because they're caught off guard because they recognize that cause, that cause didn't warrant that effect. [00:06:42]

You've heard it said, we've all heard it said that actions speak louder than words. But the truth is reactions, reactions speak louder than either. Reactions speak louder than either. Our actions, and this is true of all of us, not picking on, it's true of all of us. Our actions just don't tell our whole story. [00:08:14]

When we sound, for those of us who claim to be Jesus followers, when we sound and react like everybody else, we sound and react like everybody else. And there's no distinction. And when that happens, from our Savior's perspective, we miss our opportunity, because, and you know this from your favorite novel, your favorite series, the favorite story that you tell that you've seen play out in real life, unexpected reactions, isn't this true, unexpected reactions are often what make the stories worth telling, worth telling. [00:09:56]

But I tell you, here it is, love your enemy, which means you are to treat your enemy as if they're not your enemy, that's what that means. This isn't like, love them in your heart. Love your enemy. Practically love your enemy. That you are to treat your enemy in such a way that your enemy doesn't understand what's going on, because wait a minute, you know I don't like you. [00:20:40]

The reason I want you to do this is so that you will reflect your Father in heaven, that you will reflect the character and the nature of your Father in heaven. Reacting this way makes us like our Father in heaven. It positions us relationally and visibly to reflect what our Father in heaven is like. [00:24:22]

I want you to be perfect toward others. I want you to be perfect toward others as your Heavenly Father has been perfect toward you. I want you to overdo it. I want you to second-mile it. I want you to amaze with your unexpected, unprecedented over-underreaction. I want you to be a more than others man. [00:30:15]

Think about how your Heavenly Father reacted to your sin, knowing what you would do, knowing what you wouldn't do, knowing the promises that you would break, knowing the lies that we would tell, knowing the harm that we would inflict on others, and then not take responsibility for it, right? Knowing the excuses we would make when we're caught. [00:31:11]

So it makes sense that Jesus commands us to react toward others the way he reacted toward us, to see slights and hurt and rejection as opportunities, opportunities to amaze and to confound. Opportunities to appropriately draw attention to ourselves so we can draw attention to our Father in heaven. [00:32:47]

I want you to let your life, your light shine in such a way that people see your good deeds and they glorify your Father in heaven. I want people to stop and stare, so at the end of the day, they would find themselves gazing in my direction. [00:33:59]

Jesus' new covenant command, his new covenant command was this, we talk about it all the time. He said to his followers, look, let me make it simple for you. I want you to love other people the way I've loved you. I want you to love others. A new command I give you, love one another, not, uh-uh-uh, new command I give you, it's new, new command I give you, I want you to love others the way I have loved you. [00:39:17]