What triggers you? What sets you off? Long ago, I learned that when someone disrespects me (which is different from disagreeing with me), I am tempted to respond in anger. Why? What’s below the surface that causes disrespect to trigger an irrational emotional response? For me, the disrespect was tapping into my own sense of self-worth. So the problem turns out not to be the lack of respect, but that I have placed my need for validation and worth in a person more than in God himself. God loves me, cherishes me, values me, and has made me a part of his very family as his child. And when I’m in a healthy place, I know that’s all the respect I need.
We are starting a new series this Sunday called Triggered. We will look at some of the hard teachings of Jesus that are challenging to hear and put into practice. If you or I had been present when Jesus gave these teachings, we could have easily been triggered in some way. These words of Jesus touch things in us below the surface. Jesus loves us so much that he asks us to stop sinning, love our enemies, give whatever it takes to follow him, and choose to live as people rejected for our faith. In each teaching, Jesus takes us below the surface to examine the reasons why these hard things can trigger a strong emotional reaction. But Jesus’ radical call to action has one purpose. He wants what’s best for us so we can thrive in a challenging and hostile world.
Jesus has a way of getting to the things that are hidden and below the surface. I love the story of a wealthy man in Mark 10:17-23. The man runs up to Jesus, falls on his knees, and asks what he must do to ensure he has eternal life. Great question! Jesus tells him to keep the commandments of God, and he assures Jesus he has done this well since he was a boy. Then it notes that Jesus loved him. He had a deep compassion for him. Jesus could see into his heart.
Then Jesus gets to the hidden thing and says, “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” The man’s face fell. He was triggered. His emotional response was a deep sadness that he could not hide. You see, he was a man of great wealth. While he kept the commandments, in his heart, there was powerful greed. His greed was a hidden thing that hindered him from loving well.
That day could have been a great day for that wealthy man. He could have been freed from the bondage of his wealth and greed. But he walked away. In this series, our goal is not to just trigger your emotional reactions; that would be mean and cruel. Our hope is that we’ll all let Jesus speak to the hidden things in our lives and expose what needs to be healed or changed. Jesus came to give us life that overflows with the good he has for us, allowing us to thrive.
Glen Elliott
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