19/06/12

Did Jesus promote violence?

Luke 22:36 - Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip [wallet]: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.


We read of different religious figure heads that preached peace but had either violence brewing beneath their teaching or else foolishness like that of an ostrich towards this aggressive world.

Jesus' approach towards violence was different. Sayings of Jesus include 'if someone slaps you show your other cheek to that person', 'love your enemy' and those of using non-violent protest towards violence are very famous but yet are not understood well.

If one sees Jesus' teachings and the example He showed by His life, He was counter intuitive. His preaching of peace was full of violence; this violence was not worldly or physical but spiritual. He is called Prince of Peace. The word 'Prince' is a royalty, a person of authority and power. It was by the power of His authority He would disable the spiritual powers of this world and its principalities in ways that did not look violent.

There are many scriptures that highlight the aggressive spiritual approach of Jesus towards worldly aggression this approach called for the opposite reaction to the aggression but with knowledge, understanding and authority. It is when we understand this we will scriptures like Matthew 10:34, 35.

Jesus never told us to submit to violence but to counter the spirit of the aggressor and overpower it. Just approaching violence with non-violence is not the solution. Jesus showed how to convert the predator of violence by drastic methods that looked non-violent in natural but were very violent spiritually, but for this we need Jesus in our lives.

In today's message Jesus tells His disciples something that seems very odd to His normal teachings. Here instead of telling them the usual of not relying on things of this world, or riches of the world and not using violence to protect oneself, we read Jesus telling them to do just the opposite. This He did just before He was going to be away from them by His death. It was the same Jesus who once sent His sixty disciples with just the clothes they wore and a staff in hand.

In John 17:12 we read Jesus telling the Father He kept them under protection. In only a few translations the right translation is given. In most it is written as 'keep through your own name those whom you have given me' but the right translation is 'kept them in thy name, which thou hast given me'. Jesus Himself used His Name which was the Name of the Father to protect His disciples. By this we will understand the true meaning of the word name and why in the Bible when a name was translated from one language to another the phonic was not maintained but the meaning was. In Jesus' absence or the absence of His Spirit Who also carries the same Name, there is no protection. In such situations we have to restore to worldly means and rely on worldly protections.

Today we have been given the Spirit of the Lord therefore we do not need to come to a stage where we need to rely on worldly riches for security or use violence or things to protect us. We have the Name through the Spirit of the Lord that protects us and keeps us. It is only if we do not have the Spirit of God then only we will behave like the people of the world.

Peace does not mean absence of violence but means not been affected by the violence. We may live in an environment which surrounded by violence but when we have the peace of the Lord with us by the Name of the Lord we will not be affected by any violence natural or human.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, Jesus there are many times we behave like the people of the world who do not have You - your Name in their lives. Lord, You have given us your Spirit and authority. By your Name Lord we overcome the principalities of this world. We counter worldly violence in ways that look non-violence but are in fact bringing down the powers of darkness by force. Lord, help us grow in understanding of the power of your Name...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Matthew 10:34, 35
34 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.
35 "For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law';
36 "and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'

John 17:9-15
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for those whom thou hast given me; for they are thine:
10 and all things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine: and I am glorified in them.
11 And I am no more in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep them in thy name which thou hast given me, that they may be one, even as we are.
12 While I was with them, I kept them in thy name which thou hast given me: and I guarded them, and not one of them perished, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 But now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them from the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil one.

Luke 22:35-38
35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip [wallet]: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

Matthew 11:12 "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.

Colossians 2:14-15
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)