2 minute read
Sacrifice is an essential component of The Way of Jesus. In Luke 9 our Lord said, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.”1 Likewise, in Philippians 2 Paul writes, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” So why are Jesus followers so damn reluctant to sacrifice anything?
Many Christians today struggle with this New Testament theme not only because of our me-first consumerist values but also because a crappy version of this teaching directly leads to religious trauma. Christian culture often exhorts us to be self-sacrificial without teaching the necessity of having and maintaining personal boundaries. This leaves a person highly susceptible to abuse and/or neglect. That is not The Way of Jesus, either. Here it’s important to ditch dichotomous thinking. The options aren’t limited to selfless without boundaries OR selfish with boundaries.
Let’s distinguish between “self-sacrifice” and “sacrificing yourself.” Say a student has a summer job as a lifeguard. He finally works up the courage to ask out the girl he’s had a crush on for years and she says, “Yes.” On the way to this first date his work buddy texts that his mom was in an accident and asks him to cover his shift. Cancelling the long-anticipated date with the girl of his dreams? That’s self-sacrifice. Taking that shift and being drowned while attempting to save a panicking swimmer? That’s sacrificing yourself. Self-sacrifice has boundaries. Sacrificing yourself does not.
Of course, the deeper problem is the “not in my backyard” mentality where people want to help so long as it involves no sacrifice or discomfort. Everybody wants to help the poor, but nobody wants a homeless shelter built near their home because it might impact property value. They long for community, but refuse to give up any autonomy. They want to protect kids, but don’t want to do the uncomfortable training or follow the cumbersome practices. They want everyone to feel safe at church, but refuse to go without perfume or adopt a gluten-free communion wafer.2
The original beatniks called out hypocrisy, so I’m doing the same. I empathize with religious trauma and try to be patient about people being retrained for a countercultural ethic of self-sacrifice with boundaries, but that “not in my backyard” mentality? It’s self-centered horseshit.3 Some might ask, “How is that any different than the broader culture?” Answer: it’s not. Jesus followers are held to a higher ethical standard of self-sacrifice because they appeal to a higher spiritual standard. That’s why beatnik Christianity insists upon actually making sacrifices.
