The Right to Love You

The United States is a country that’s obsessed with rights. If you listen to the news on any given day, you’ll hear a lot about rights: civil rights, women’s rights, right to life, right to a trial, the right to work, the right to bear arms, all kinds of rights. We talk about these things for good reason. Rights are important. As human beings created by God, there are certain rights that we innately have and that others should honor. 

Jesus’s Rights

Jesus had a lot of rights as the son of God. Many of those rights he gave up when he lived on earth as a man. He had the right to control all of creation (because he helped create everything), but he submitted himself to natural processes while he was on earth. We had a right to receive glory and honor from every living being, but he allowed people to mock him. He was willing to give up his rights because of his great love for us. 

Nowhere is this more evident than in his death. When Jesus is arrested, he makes it very clear that he is ultimately in control of the situation. In John 18:6, Jesus tells those who came to arrest him that he’s the person they’re looking for. The people all drew back and fell to the ground, and not voluntarily. 

Surrendering His Rights

In John 19, Jesus is brought before Pilate and refuses to answer his questions. Pilate is surprised. He tells Jesus he needs to answer because it’s in his hands whether Jesus lives or dies. Jesus calmly responds, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above” (John 19:11). Jesus is ultimately in control of his own fate. 

Soldiers beat him and put a crown of thorns on his head to humiliate him as a way to amuse themselves. The entire time, Jesus could have escaped. He could have killed them all. He could have stopped everything that was happening. He had the right, but he didn’t use it. What was happening to him was completely unfair, but Jesus is willing to submit to an unfair process for the sake of those he loves. 

Even when Jesus breathes his final breath, it’s his choice to die. John 19:30 says he “gave up his spirit.” Jesus’ life was not taken from him. He willingly gives it. He has every right to come down from the cross, to punish those who are trying to harm him. But he doesn’t. He sacrifices himself and lays down his rights for us. 

A Demonstration of Love

That is how much God loves you. That is how much Jesus loves you. He is willing to be treated unfairly, to be abused, mocked, beaten, misunderstood, and ultimately killed for you. Though he had the right to avoid crucifixion, he laid down his right for you because he loves you, because he thinks you’re worth it. 

Jesus doesn’t die because he wants you to feel guilty. He doesn’t give himself up because he’s trying to manipulate you into good behavior. Jesus doesn’t have an agenda in his sacrifice (besides allowing you to be reunited with God and your relationship with him restored). He gives himself up because he loves you. He’s willing to submit himself because he cares for you. Unlike other martyrs, Jesus isn’t trying to get anything by his sacrifice, besides your salvation. There’s no catch, nothing in it for him besides reuniting you with the Father.

So, how do we respond to his self-giving love?

We too are called to give up our rights.

If we are followers of Jesus, we must emulate what he’s done for us. If Jesus was willing to give up his rights for us, we should be willing to sacrifice our rights for those around us. Though we have rights, we are willing to lay them down for the sake of others, in big ways and in small ways. 

We give up our right to comfort by being willing to befriend difficult people who make us uncomfortable or to be patient with our own family members. We give up our right to our own money and time by being generous to those who have need. We give up our right to independence by becoming part of the church community entering in the messes of other people’s lives. We are called to give up our rights for those around us, to love others as Christ has loved us. 

We don’t have an agenda.

When we give up our rights, like Jesus, we shouldn’t have an ulterior motive. We aren’t patient with our family members because we hope they’ll be kinder to us or we can change them through kindness. We’re kind to them because we’re displaying the graceful love of God to them. If we are giving of our time or money, we don’t do so to make ourselves look better or to reduce our tax bill. We give because God has given to us and we’re passing it on. We don’t enter into community because it will do something for us or because we want to change people. We enter into community because God has called us to. 

We don’t make ourselves into a martyr because we want people to be enamored with us or to give us something. We’re not looking for a good reputation or people to return the favor. The only objective we have in giving up our rights is that through that people would come to see and know God. We act as Jesus’ hands and feet, copying what he did on the cross in whatever small ways we can. 

God doesn’t call all of us to die on a cross. He doesn’t ask everyone to sacrifice their life like Jesus did (though he does call some to do this, even today). He does ask us to give of ourselves, to be willing to sacrifice ourselves in small ways. We do this not to get anything, but simply to share what has already been given to us. 

Photo by Monica Melton on Unsplash