- Jesus’s message here is rooted in his cultural context. But in each example, he invites his followers to creatively, and non-violently, resist oppression and assert their dignity.
- Part of Jesus’s goal is that our surprising kindness and generosity will expose the shameful oppression and selfishness of our oppressors—while, again, asserting our dignity and value despite their cruelty.
- This philosophy of nonviolent resistance is what powered much of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s efforts toward establishing racial equality in the United States.
- How does it strike you that Jesus encouraged his followers to assert their dignity in the face of their oppressors?
- What’s a way today that you could creatively respond to oppression with generosity?
- Is there a cultural injustice that’s been on your mind lately—or even a personal injustice? What’s a way that you could creatively and non-violently expose its evil and create positive pressure for change? Today’s action challenge is to take some time to brainstorm ideas with friends, and make a plan to put them into action.