On one hand, it's a good question. We should try to act like our Savior in every situation. On the other, it's not a good question at all, because by asking what Jesus would do, it opens the door to all kinds of speculation.
A better guide to behavior is Ray Comfort's WDJD?: What Did Jesus Do? This has the double advantage of preventing speculation and encouraging people to read the Gospels to see what he did,
For the purposes of this post, though, I'm not asking What Did Jesus Do.?, but rather Who Did Jesus Kill? The church in which I was baptized was in love with the military; it held a Uniform Honor Sunday every year, and acted like my joining the Navy was the best thing to happen in years. For all I know, to their way of thinking, it was.
I've seen this in every church of which I've been a part. Why do we love the military so much? Why do people who claim to worship the Prince of Peace think that it's better to put a bullet in someone's face than to give that person a reason for the hope that lies within us?
So who did Jesus kill? According to the New Testament, no one. I can't think of a single time he retaliated against anyone who hurt him. Someone will no doubt come back with Jesus' appearance at the Battle of Armageddon. Two things should be remembered about that, though.
First, it will be less a battle than a slaughter. The enemies of God will see it as a final chance to rebel, but the Bible depicts it as a way to get all of Christ's enemies in one place. Second, we're not invited. As I recall, it isn't so much between two armies as between an army and Jesus Christ.
And whatever you do don't throw Romans 13 at me. I'm very tired of people so desperate to justify themselves that they allow a poor understanding of a single chapter to trump everything else the NT says.
In closing (a meaningless phrase preachers use) I want to share with everyone something a good friend once asked me. "Should we hope some people remain unsaved so they can be soldiers? I didn't know how to answer then, but I think I do now:
No, we should try to make everyone a Christian so we don't need soldiers anymore.
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ReplyDeleteI hear what you are saying, but will you speak to why Jesus healed the Centurion's servant & didn't condemn him for commanding soldiers in the Roman army? Granted, he was a "good" centurion who had faith "such is not found in all Israel", but can we doubt that if there was a violent uprising that he would "bear the sword for nothing"?
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