Non-Violence
Scripture
Matthew 5:38-42
38 “You have heard that it
was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is
evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would
sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces
you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 Give
to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from
you.
Meditation
This message would have sounded just
as strange in Jesus day as does in ours. Jesus was speaking with his disciples
and the crowd. They were living in the Promised Land, but it was occupied and controlled
by the Romans. They were heavily taxed, and their freedoms were severely
restricted. Yet here Jesus is taking one of the Hebrew Scriptures most often
quoted maxims and turning it on its head.
In doing so he caused difficulties
for his hearers, both then and now. Why would anyone live that way? The way of non-violence
has had few proponents in this day and age. Most everyone wants to live more
like Bruce Willis in the “Die Hard” series than like Jesus on Calvary. But violence
is not the way of a Christian. In the very early church, before the year 300, you
could not be in the military and still be in the church. All killing was
forbidden to Christians. The church began to allow Christians to join the
military mostly after Christianity became the state religion of Rome.
Not only have we changed Jesus’ view
of militarism and warfare in these later days. But we have also changed the way
we look at poor beggars. Jesus statement to give to anyone who begs from you
was not hyperbole but a simple statement of fact. I guess that Jesus knew that
God would judge the beggar on what he or she did with the cash in the end. But
we were not to judge only be generous.
I know that many will disagree with
some or all of what I am trying to say here, but I urge you to look into the
matter for yourselves and make up your own mind. Take off your cultural
blinders and look full into the beautiful, but crucified one you call Lord and
see if your views do not change.
There are two books I would recommend
reading: Fight by Preston Sprinkle and Caesar and the Lamb by George Kalantzis.
(Full disclosure Dr. K as we called him was the first professor I had in
seminary.) They will help guide you through the Bible and the early church
writers.
Love God, your neighbor and yourself
and you will go far in obeying Christ in this matter.
Prayer:
Dear Holy God, we bow before you. We
acknowledge that we would rather fight for our rights than not. We have been
programed for violence and we frequently act it out in either active or passive
ways. Forgive us, teach us to be loving and generous people. Let the world say
about us as Christians; “my look how they love one another.” Thank you for your
son Jesus who came to be our example. May we follow him even if it leads to a
cross. Amen
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