Did I Forget to Tell You… that Jesus Is Opposed to Violence?
I am continually flabbergasted at how many church people --- faithful church people—apparently have no idea what is in the Bible.
After studying the Bible daily and teaching the Bible faithfully for decades, this reality is REALLY disheartening
When people try to use appeals to the Bible for things that the Bible is in opposition to, I used to believe that Christians would immediately recognize the falsehood and not let the appeal influence them. Sadly, I do not believe that anymore.
When politically oriented pundits started crusades like “We need to put God back in schools” or that Christmas was being taken away from Christ, I thought Christians would laugh them out of town. (Which they should do since the omnipresent God is EVERYWHERE and no one tells God where He can be. The whole premise is ridiculous. Or that saying “Merry Christmas” was some kind of sign of faith as opposed to “Happy Holidays”—neither of which are in the Bible. But I learned to my surprise and dismay that Christians are very gullible people. And, instead of knowing their basic Bible, they have been easy prey for those seeking their allegiance for unholy reasons. It is heart-rending.
Last week, I heard a politician from another part of our country say, “Jesus said, ‘Take up your sword and fight’. So we are going to take our swords and fight for Him.” At other times of my life, I would have laughed. At other times of my life, I believe that Christian people would have immediately recognized that Jesus never said to take up the sword and that would have been the end of that. The politician would have been dropped like a hot potato for either not knowing or not representing the Bible.
But in our “I love a fight” culture, people have blindly followed this politician and thought they were doing what was right. Friends, this is where we get down to the nitty gritty. People really need to know what the Bible says –and does not say. Because whoever is following this politician and the appeal to Jesus and the Bible is going to lead them right off a cliff. They may be well-meaning, but they are dead wrong. And worse, they are going in the opposite directionof Jesus’ teaching.
Jesus does not advocate or approve of violence. He very specifically rejects violence. He called us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). He called us to be merciful, meek, pure in heart, humble (read all the beatitudes). He taught that when we were persecuted, we were to rejoice and be comforted. He specifically said we were not to seek revenge (Matthew 5:38-42) and that we were to love our enemies and pray for them. The attitude of Jesus was the polar opposite of this belligerent, bellicose “by God, it’s our way or no way” attitude that gets so much press. Listen carefully, Christian people. The insulting, looking-for-a-fight attitude that we hear from many is nowhere close to the attitude of Jesus.
The Palm Sunday crowd wanted Jesus to be the Messiah who would bring the military victory that would free them from the Romans. Jesus rejected that approach.
And, in the Garden of Gethsemane at the high, tense moment when Jesus was being arrested, Peter pulled out his sword and cut off the right ear of the servant of the high priest. (Not exactly the most violent action – compared to AR-15’s mowing down children). But at that moment – that highly emotional, tense moment of his betrayal and arrest, even that comparatively small act of violence drew a strong rebuke from Jesus. (See John 18: 10-12) Luke 22: 49-51 says that the disciples asked “Lord shall we strike with the sword?” and Jesus’ answer was clear: “No more of this!” In the Greek, the rebuke is the strongest possible language. “STOP IT!” In Matthew’s account (Matthew 26: 51,52), Jesus’ rejection of violence is expanded: “Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Even in a critical time of deep personal agony, Jesus rejected even a small demonstration of violence. Friends, the way of violence is not the way of Jesus.
The way of Jesus is treating others the way you would like to be treated. Mark 12: 28-31. He said there is no commandment greater than that – and the commandment to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. No greater commandments. The way of Jesus is not the belligerent, insulting, bellicose defense of violence. What we are hearing is the opposite of what Jesus taught and lived.
Don’t fall for it. It is an appeal that completely misrepresents Jesus. And please don’t give your allegiance and support to those who are (in actuality) going against the life and teaching of Jesus. When I heard the politician last week say, “Jesus says to pick up your sword and fight…” I nearly jumped out of my skin and said, “Jesus who?” Must be a different Jesus.
The essence of Christian faith is that we follow where He leads – not that we make Him into something that works for our own personal or political advantage. In case I didn’t tell you – or didn’t say it clearly enough: Jesus is opposed to violence. And belligerence. And lording it over people. Or hurting anyone. It REALLY is important to know your Bible.
