Rights and the Christian, Part II

"...but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant..." Matthew 20:26

Jesus had quite a lot to say about rights.

When the world tells us we have the right to defend ourselves, Jesus told us to turn the other cheek.

When the world says we have a right to revenge (we candy-coat it by calling it justice), Jesus wants us to bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us.

In contrast to the world proclaiming that "you deserve a break today," Jesus washed the feet of those who should have, by rights, served Him.

The unselfish defense of human rights is a cornerstone of our free society.

The men who gave us our form of government viewed rights, not as something to be demanded for personal gain, but something to be cherished and defended as a sacred trust. They were willing to sacrifice all in order to defended the rights of others. Many paid the ultimate price with their lives.

It’s fashionable these days to speak of sacrifice and honor. But like Beatle-mania and pet rocks, these, too, will fade from the public heart - if they were never really there in the first place.

The rights we enjoy are precious, and they should be defended. But for the Christian, the rights we defend should be someone else’s.