Jesus a pacifist?

If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat;
and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;
for you will heap coals of fire on their heads,
and the Lord will reward you.

- Proverbs 25:21-22

Interesting concept. Sounds a lot like Jesus' thing about loving your enemies and praying for those that persecute you- actually a lot like turning the other cheek, going the extra mile and giving them the shirt off your back too (also Jesus, Matthew 5:38-48 & Luke 6:27-42).

I wonder if JFK was trying to use this approach when he established the Peace Corps and the Alliance for Progress. In Old Testament times, Egypt anyway, they'd heap coal on one's head to force a confession (torture)- but you would also put ashes on your head (perhaps some hard core ascetics and/or masochists might use actual hot coals) as a sign of contrition and repentance.

Do you think that what God (and King Solomon) are saying here, is that when we return evil with good, we allow the person's own conscience (and the Holy Spirit) to convict them of their wrong doing and/or convince them that you are a friend, not an enemy?

Or, you could try to torture them, imprison them indefinitely without cause and without fair trial, or just bomb the living Hell out of them. Because that seems to work SO well.

Sorry, that was me being snarky and judgmental and mean there- instead of loving, helping, or praying for those who disagree with me politically or philosophically (enemies in a way). Forgive me for being a two-faced hypocrite. I like to spice stuff up with a little humor and sarcasm once in a while, so my posts tend to have a little bite. It's good if it gets you to read or helps you enjoy it- it's bad if it detracts from what God has to say to you or offends you so much that you don't keep reading.

My point is this- that we Americans love our action movies, mercenaries, renegades, gangsters, cops, or cowboys. And this love for macho movies and TV may lead us to believe that we have to put the bad guys in their place, teach 'em a lesson, and defend ourselves and our honor. But God says that we're better off being patient and gentle and generous and kind.

As the now famous church marquee sign read, "Love your enemies, it messes with their heads."

MLK taught passive, not violent resistance to his protectors. So the black activists may have been criminals for violating Southern segregation laws, but when they peacefully went limp when white Klansmen and policemen were beating them and cussing and screaming at them and turning fire hoses on them which peeled their skin off and broke their ribs- who looked like the bad guys on TV?

I could be wrong about this, and it may just be my opinion- but I think if instead of invading Iraq (who had nothing to do with 9/11) and filling Guantanamo with prisoners, if instead of doing those things we had flooded Afghanistan and the Sudan, Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt and other Arab and Muslim countries with aid for schools for girls and hospitals for the poor, and civil engineering projects to help farmers and relief for refugees- the terrorist groups would have far fewer recruits and there would be far fewer suicide attacks on Western targets.

But maybe more importantly is how this upside-down, counter-intuitive philosophy of Jesus' (and Solomon's and St. Peter's) can make a huge difference in our daily lives.

A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger. -Proverbs 15:1

What if instead of tailgating or flipping off that person who cut you off, you just let it go, or even said a quick prayer for them because they're obviously either in a real hurry or just not being very careful.

What if you were friendly and congenial to that person who budged in front of you in line or was rude to you.

What is you refused to say anything but good things about that person who called you names, started rumors about you or accused you of something you didn't do?

People genuinely involved in martial arts (not extreme cage fighting or Kung Fu movies) know that Eastern philosophies dictate that the martial arts only be used in self-defense and that the secret to martial arts is balance. You have a much greater advantage if you can calmly take advantage of leverage to use an opponent's force and energy against them, rather than trying to strike them yourself. Their anger/hate/rage/aggression then becomes their weakness.

The same is true spiritually and emotionally. Jesus knows that if we love our enemies and even go so far as to come to their aid, it throws them off balance. Sin, selfishness, evil and revenge all are revealed as weakness and foolishness in the light of God's kindness, love, patience, and forgiveness. And it's like heaping hot coals on their heads. Best case scenario, God works on their hearts to humble them. Worst case scenario, it messes with their heads or at least makes them look bad.

14Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

17Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"says the Lord. 20On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-Romans 12:14, 17-21

Strange request

"Just as you drew near to us, Incarnated Christ, draw us into relationship with our enemies. May we see your Image in them and love them as you do."

(from the July 10, 09 "Verse and Voice" from Sojourners Magazine sojo.net)

Cartoon

Love perseveres

So you call yourself a “Christian?”
A “Little Christ?”
“Little Anointed One?”
Set aside for a purpose?

Are you sure you’re ready for His purposes?


Love perseveres.


Are you patient?
Are you kind?
Do you envy?
Do you ever brag?
Pretty proud of yourself, aren’t you?
Are you ever rude?
Are you ever self-seeking? Never? No Ambition? Never any ulterior motives?
How easy is it to make you angry?
Do you keeps track? Are you keeping score?
Oh I know you rejoice in the truth, but do you rejoice with THE Truth?
Do you ever delight when harm comes to others?
Do you always protect? Or do you just over protect?
Do you always trust?
Where is your hope?


Love perseveres.


If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ,
if any comfort from his love,
if any fellowship with the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion,
then make my joy complete by being like-minded,
having the same love,
being one in spirit and purpose.

Are you sure you’re ready for HIS purposes?


Love perseveres.

Do you do ever do anything out of selfish ambition?
Are you ever vain or conceited?
Are you humble?
Do you consider others better than yourself?
Or do you look after your own interests?
What about the interests of others?


Love perseveres.


Is your attitude the same as that of Christ Jesus?
Don’t you consider equality with God something to be grasped?
Do you make yourself nothing?
Are you a servant?
Do you humbled himself?
Would you be obedient to death?


Love perseveres.


Do YOU love?
Are you joyful?
Are you a peacemaker?
Are you patient?
Are you kind?
I bet you think you try to be pretty good, don’t you?
Are you as faithful as you think?
Do you let your gentleness be evident to all?
You want to control society, but how much self-control have you got?


Love perseveres.


Do you love your enemies?

Do you do good to those who hate you?
Have you blessed those who curse you?
Are you praying for those who mistreat you?


Love perseveres.


"You have heard that it was said,
'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.'
But I tell you:
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.


Love perseveres.


He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
So you may as well get used to it.


Love perseveres.


Do you love your enemies?
Do you do good to them?
Do you even give them to them without expecting to get anything back?


Love perseveres.


Believe it or not,
Like it or not,

Jesus is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.

While we were still His enemies, Christ died for us.
Would you die for your enemies?


Are you merciful, just as your Father is merciful?

Lord, forgive us,
for we know not what the Hell we're doing to each other.


Believe it or not,
Like it or not,

Love perseveres

---

Matthew 5, Luke 6, Romans 11, 1 Corinthians 13, Philippians 2, Galatians 5, Romans 5

Matthew 5: 17-48

We finished our study of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5) by going through Matthew 5: 17-48

A lot of people accuse Jesus of trying to wipe out all of the Old Testament Jewish Laws, but He makes it clear in verses 17-20 that He didn't come to get rid of any of it. As Christians, we know that what He did was to fulfill it perfectly, something that we never could no matter how hard we tried. We can't ever be perfect enough, THAT's why we need Jesus.

Jesus uses some sarcastic hyperbole to drive this point home. In verses 21-26 he lets us know that anger, hate, and even name calling are just as bad as actual killing. (hyperbole? Look it up yourself at www.m-w.com, basically He was being a smart-Aleck).

Compare Matt 5:24 with being a Peacemaker that Jesus talked about in Matt 5:9 and the reconciliation that Paul talks about in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21.

In the same style of sarcasm, Jesus lets us know that lust is no less a sin than full fledged adultery in verses 27-30 and that we can't just weasel out of a marriage because we're bored of it in verses 31-32 (don't wig out, He's not saying that if one spouse is cheating, or abusing the other or a total crack-head that you shouldn't get divorced) He was trying to make a point to people who thought they were better than everybody else that none of us are perfect.

In verses 33-37 He tells us to just be sincere, honest and have integrity, rather than trying to make our promises sound more serious by swearing on our mother's grave, saying "I swear to God" or "cross my heart and hope to die." We'll have a lot more credibility if we just keep our word.

As a political lefty, the rest of Matthew 5 is one of my favorite parts of the Bible. What Would Jesus Do? (WWJD?) I'll tell ya what He'd do, Matthew 5:38-42!-

Some people like to defend war, the death penalty and getting even with people by saying that "the Bible says 'An eye for an eye'," but Jesus says "I tell you, Do not resist an evil person."
Sounds a little revolutionary. Some people say it sounds weak- but Jesus is anything but weak, like the County song says, He's "tougher than nails." If it's good enough for Jesus, why isn't it good enough for us? Martin Luther King Jr used it to eliminate segregation.

Verses 38-42 is where we get the following idioms, There's from Jesus, not Ben Franklin or Bill Shakespeare-

• Turn the other cheek
• Give 'em the coat off your back
• Go the extra mile
• Don't turn anyone away

What a different world it would be if we'd all actually practice what Jesus preached!

Then there's the REALLY revolutionary stuff; verses 43-48, all that "Love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you" stuff. Anyone can love their friends, but it takes real work to love your enemies. Sound like nonsense? Remember, love is not a feeling, it's not a reaction, it's an action, a way of treating people (see 1 Corinthians 13).

It makes you wonder... what if after 9/11, instead of invading Iraq (which had nothing to do with 9/11 anyway) instead we promoted democracy in Saudi Arabia and Egypt? Gave financial aid to Palestine? Helped negotiate peace and eliminate the slave trade and genocide in Darfur? Built schools and hospitals in Jordan and Lebanon? Provided food aid to Ethiopia and Chad? Promoted women's rights in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates? Why not a Peace Corps like JFK came up with? Look how the Marshall Plan after WWII made Europe love us?

Okay, okay, too political, too liberal-Democrat. Sorry, I know I promised not to do that in the high school Bible Study part of this blog.

But think about this; What if the next time someone shoved you in line or grabbed your hat and tried to play keep-away, or called you a name, or gave you the finger, or spread a rumor about you on MySpace or FaceBook- what if every time someone did something bad to you, you exercised Matt 5:38-48? What if?

Even if they didn't feel guilty about treating you poorly, even if it didn't take the fun out of it for them, if nothing else, it would make them look bad for being such jerks and you would look like you're way more mature and self controlled.

And don't forget, part of that is PRAYING for them. God does most of His best work when people bother to pray. Even if your enemies didn't change, prayer changes you. Try it, I DARE you.

What if?


Revolutionary

Light House Prayer

Lighthouse Prayer
Above is a link to a way that you can be a becon, a lighthouse in a dark world, just by praying.

While you're at it,

I think we should pray for our enemies too. Is there some one who makes you angry? Someone who offends you? Or grates on your nerves? How about someone who believes differently than you? Are you a Republican who fears that Democrats somehow can't be Christian? Are you a Democrat who somehow imagines that all Republicans are judgmental or hypocritical?

And what should we REALLY do about Muslim terrorists?

Jesus says, be a blessing to your enemies.

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?"~ Matthew 5:43-47


"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."~ Romans 12:19b-21

In the ancient Near East people would heap coals on their heads as a sign of repentance. What Paul is saying there is that if we love and bless our enemies, the Holy Spirit can work on their hearts to convict them of their wrong doing or their hard heartedness.

But don't be surprised if praying for them, and blessing them changes YOUR heart too. You might even discover that they aren't enemies after all.

See also Luke Chapter 6:27-36

So lets take the "Oh, that you would bless me indeed," line from the Jabez Prayer as our cue to ask God to bless EVERYONE, even people that we've pre-judged as beng downright evil.