Scott Freeman

I have benefited greatly from the community that has sprung up in my blog world. I love the comments and discussion that takes place here. However, I know that often I give rather than take.
I made the commitment that I would comment more on other blogs to spread the discussion elsewhere. But one thing I have noticed is that using an RSS reader, although time-saving, limits my comment frequency.
As a result I am making some changes to my link section. Those who blog frequently (can’t stress that enough) and are a part of the discussion here I am in the process of adding to my “community.” If you are not on there and would like to be a part of my “discussion family” let me know and I’ll add you. I’m not done because blogger is being finicky today so don’t be alarmed if I haven’t added you yet (and for the life of me I don’t understand why people use blogger instead of wordpress but that’s a different subject).
Here’s to continuing the discussion.

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Our study this week is in the book of Philemon. By now, most of us know the story of Paul’s call to mercy and grace for the runaway slave, Onesimus.
But what jumped out at me this week was Paul’s greeting to Philemon. Paul greets him by extolling his faith and love. He even goes so far to say that “the hearts of the saints have been refreshed” because of the love of Philemon.

But wait, he’s a slave-holder. Now, I don’t know about you but owning a slave is fairly high up on my moral reprehensibility chart. It’s up there with murder and blue-tooth in my book.
But Paul doesn’t define him as a slave-owner. Instead he views Philemon with all of his faults as his “beloved fellow worker.”
How often do we define people based upon their worst moments or greatest sins? How often is the way we look at people determined by their weakness or shortcomings.
But that is not the way of Christ. And Paul gets that.
So should we.

Part of the problem with this discussion is due to our proclivity to jump ahead in the story. To proceed in a systematic order we have to determine the best place to start.
With the guidelines firmly in place (and I am thankful for the civil discourse thus far) it is imperative that we find the most appropriate place to begin.
When initially thinking of penning this series I intended to begin chronologically with the Hebrew Scriptures. However, I think that moving along a linear timeline loses the normative voice for the Christian’s conclusions on non-violence.

The normative voice is Jesus. I believe that most of us who affiliate themselves in the Christian colony can affirm that the standard is Christ.
In any debate that centers on matters of a Christian nature then Jesus must be both the author and perfector of that argument. The Alpha and Omega, so to speak.
What does Jesus say? Let’s begin there. Pardon the length but this is just a sampling of what Jesus has to say on the subject.

For the purposes of this post let us strive to look at what He SAID and not place our human conditions on that. We can suss out further implications as we go along. (Quotes from English Standard Version)

Matthew
5:5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
5:7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
5:10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
5:11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

5:21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

5:38 “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.

5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

6:12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

7:1 “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

26:52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”

Mark
11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Luke
3:14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

6:27 “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

6:32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. 36 Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

6:37 “Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven; 38 give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.”

9:51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. 53 But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them. and he said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man came not to destroy people’s lives but to save them” 56 And they went on to another village.

10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

10:29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii [3] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

23:32 Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. 33 And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” [2] And they cast lots to divide his garments.

John

8:3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”]]

The evidence is staggering: Jesus chose the way of the cross. Our mind typically flies to scenarios where this kind of living does not make practical sense. Where if falls outside of human wisdom and reason. But yet, that is what Jesus did. It’s how He chose to live and His teachings to us smack of grace, mercy, love of enemy and turning the other cheek.

Here is where we must start. Are we called to live like Him? If yes, then we must look deeply at the implications of what He said. For ultimately, our allegiance must be to Him, and Him alone.

I’m not a pacifist. At least in the sense that it is a definable position for me. I do, however, subscribe to what I believe is the very Christian idea of non-violence. What I mean by that is that I do not believe that my commitment to non-violence exists as a belief structure outside of my commitment to following in the steps of Jesus. In other words, to me, non-violence is non-distinguishable from being a Christ-follower.

Topics such as pacifism and non-violence are getting a lot of press these days. In the midst of war and terror, I feel that is only appropriate. There must be discourse and dialogue during any troubling and problematic time. And the interchange of ideas is crucial in a world such as this.

My understanding of non-violence is shaped by many thinkers, theologians and, yes, even bloggers. I do not kid myself into thinking that I can shed any greater light on this debate than that which is provided by far loftier minds than mine. If you need a more scholarly treatment then I can give you some quality resources. However, over the course of the next few weeks I will attempt to carve out my own territory in this debate.

As a result I hope several things occur:
1. That greater understanding is secured among those who disagree. I am committed that this discussion proceed in a civil manner.
2. That legitimate objections to non-violence can be addressed without condescension, flippancy or evasion.
3. That I can work out my own salvation in this area. My response to a violent world is something that robs me of sleep and peace far too often.
4. That the discussion can be accessible and understandable for folks like me who are a little slower on the uptake.

As I progress I hope to specifically address some problematic areas that proponents of non-violence are often confronted with. Far too often, these questions are side-stepped and avoided rather than honestly and sincerely dealt with. Concerns we will address include:
–God’s apparent saction of war in the Hebrew Scriptures.
–Whether Jesus used physical violence in the Temple
–Our allegiance to Rome as Paul encouraged in Romans 13
–The scenario: what do you do when your family is being attacked.
–The notion that non-violence represents cowardice, passivity, or naivete.
–The co-existence of non-violence and “security” forces.
–The problem of evil in today’s society

It has become readily apparent to me that non-violence can spark some pretty strong and negative reactions from people. It also must be acknowledged that those who subscribe to non-violence can also be fairly “physical” in their words and attitudes. Therefore, to keep this discussion in the realm of civility, here are some guidelines, caveats and disclaimers:

1. Many godly men and women have served their country in various ways out of the sincerity of their conviction. I do not, in any way, disparage their convictions and contributions to this world.
2. Please participate in the discussion. But limit it to the topic at hand. If we are discussing war in the OT please don’t jump ahead to “The Scenario.”
3. Play nice. Peace means nothing if it doesn’t first begin in our own hearts and words.
4. Agree to disagree. Godly men and women can draw different conclusions.
5. Please, please, please understand the distinction that is made when I talk about “we.” I am talking about the church, not the US or any other nation-state. This is not a political issue for me.

To me, Jesus does not explode off of the page in the book of Matthew as He does in the other gospels.

Instead, He arrives orderly and systematic. He is verified and certified: Jewish, from the line of David. Matthew goes to great lengths to confirm the legitimacy of Jesus’ claim to the throne of David. He has royal blood.

In Matthew, Jesus is posited as the One the Jews have waited for. Yet, Matthew shows us repeatedly that Jesus was rejected by them. The Messiah’s life is in danger before He even sets foot on Palestinian ground.

Many Jews were anticipating two Messiahs: One would be the suffering servant made popular in Isaiah 53. The other would be the Victorious Warrior, the Mighty One who would save.
It was incomprehensible to many that the Suffering Servant could also be the Victorious Deliverer.

Jesus challenged all of those assumptions in Matthew. The Jesus in Matthew was intent on showing the Jewish people all that they were called to be. Some chafed under Roman rule, but not all. Many were comfortable in the “Pax Romana.” Regardless of where they were on the occupation comfort scale, they were a proud people. They had survived exile and returned to their homeland. They had overcome their idolatrous past and were faithful to their God.

But they failed to realize that they had changed idols. No longer, would they bow to Baal or Molech. For many Jews during the time of Christ, their idols were: Nation, Temple and Torah.

For many, they were the chosen of God, not by virtue of their righteousness but because of geography.
Not by virtue of their holiness, but because of the rigid and legalistic observance to the letter, if not the spirit, of the Law.

Jesus, in Matthew, sets the record straight. He is the Nation, Temple and Torah. He is the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scripture. He is the One.

In five discourses in the gospel of Matthew, Jesus capsizes their incomplete understanding of faith and righteousness.

In the Sermon on the Mount (5–7) He blesses the poor in spirit, the meek, the peacemakers. He said that the righteousness of the people had to exceed that of the legalistic Pharisees. In a few words, He redefines righteousness: It’s loving enemies, giving to the needy, purity.
In the commissioning of the apostles (10) He promises persecution for following after Him. But rather than laying out a battle plan, He talks about peace. About not having any fear.
In the Kingdom parables (13) He repositions the true identity of His children. All fish will come, it is He who will do the sorting.
In the Greatness Discourse (18), He removes the complexities of faith and champions the humility and innocent wonder of childlike faith.
In the Second Coming Discourse (24-25), He lays out the true path to salvation: care for the least of these.

Jesus comes into Matthew systematically and orderly. But by the time He is done He tears the place up.
There will be no military revolution. The revolution will be of hearts and minds.
The sword will be laid down in favor of the cross.
The Kingdom will not be a chosen place but a chosen people.
Holiness will be defined by loving God and loving God’s people, not pietistic ramblings and legalistic exactness.
In Matthew, cheeks will be turned, enemies will be loved and lives laid down.
In Matthew, there is no chosen Nation-State, but chosen people.
In Matthew, terrorists become followers, skeptics become believers and a Jewish Messiah becomes the Christ of all.
In Matthew, the Hebrew Scriptures have their fulfillment giving weight and significance to the Torah.
In Matthew, the Temple is rebuilt. Not in Jerusalem but in a resurrected Lord.

There is so much for us to learn in this book. For we are just like that 1st century Jewish audience.
We too often favor the sword over the cross.
We too often favor the bank over the least of these.
We too often construct “tests of fellowship” that Jesus never seemed to be concerned about. We have constructed idols of nation, temple and torah. Success is determined by geography or the “killer B’s” of church growth: Budgets, buildings, and baptisms.
We value protection and security over sacrifice.
We have blessed the prosperous, the mighty, the ones with self-esteem and clout.

But Jesus said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Let us learn anew from this Jewish Messiah.
He is the Promised One.

For the record:

• If a scantily clad super-model plops herself down on my desk, I’m probably going to lust.
• If I accidently cut my leg off with a power tool, I’m probably going to mutter some choice words.
• If someone impersonates me and begins to earn money speaking at NRA rallies, I’m probably going to get angry.
• If someone tells me an off-color joke that is the funniest thing ever told featuring midgets, tambourines and hot air balloons, I’m probably going to laugh.

I’m human. I sin. I know that to do any of those things would be wrong. But I’d probably do it anyway. If we sit here long enough you could probably propose an absurd enough scenario where I would succumb to temptation.

The fact that I would fall under the right circumstances does not negate the fact that these are still sins.
So, if:

• Osama bin Laden was able to mask his identity, smuggle across the US border, elude all of our federal agents and crime-fighters and find himself holed up in our house when we come home to find him unexpectedly wielding a knife at my wife and children I would probably fight to the death.

It amazes me how some people will immediately dismiss the idea of non-violence when we see first-hand that it is the way of Christ. For some, in the church, non-violence is a heresy. (And that’s not hyperbole).

Yet those of us who subscribe to a non-violent view, who believe unswervingly that that is the way of Christ in this world, who denounce all war as unjust have just as much a say in the kingdom.

You may believe that there are times when violence is justified but I encourage you not to turn a deaf ear to our voices.

Invariably when talk turns to non-violence, people trot out that same old tired extreme scenario, as if the extreme situation would somehow invalidate the entire belief.

It as if the burglar in our house somehow trumps the words of Christ to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to turn the other cheek. The New Testament and the words of Christ are OVERWHELMINGLY slanted toward living a peacable life.

Extreme and/or absurd analogies will not alter that.

To answer the scenario, I would probably kick, scream, bite, wedgie, choke, pummel and good ole fashion jack-slap if pushed in this regard.

But I hope to grow past that. You see, that is my gut fleshly reaction. As I grow in the way of Christ I pray that my reactions to situations will grow to reflect more and more the person of Jesus.

That it will become natural for me to love first.

That it will become natural for me to always consider the peaceful, Christ-like option.

That it will become natural for me to turn the other cheek and embrace and advocate peace.

That is the way of Christ. He responded non-violently, not passively.

To love so completely, so sacrificially is not wimpy or weak-kneed.

It is bold, daring and invites rejection.
The way so many in the church marginalize this view is proof enough of that.

But the way of Christ is counter-cultural, life-changing. Soul-tranforming.

It is the only way to rid this world of violence.

The war to end terror will never end terror. Only the love of Christ can.

Foolish, you say? That’s Jesus, for you.

Now, excuse me. I have a super-model to get off my desk.

…”Emerge” already.

Carry on.

A few weeks ago, I asked a series of questions that are on my mind. The second question in that series is thus:
Will we ever break away from our proclivity to proof-text our rationales for war, propagating poverty and elevating our spheres of concern over above the needs of those who fall outside of those spheres?

To me, the answer is as simple as the anwer that my friend Jeff originally provided: No. The truth is that we can pretty much use Scripture to justify anything that we want it to.

It’s been used to justify slavery, hatred and racism.

It’s been used to justify war, acts of aggression and extreme nationalism.

It’s been used to marginalize and reject people on the fringes of society who do not look like us or act like us.

The bottom line is that Scripture has been perverted, twisted and debased repeatedly, stretching back to the oral tradition of the Torah. So, the likelihood of that ending anytime soon is nil.

I should know, I’m guilty of it as well. I’ve used Scripture as a weapon in my life. I’ve used it to draw lines of distinction between those of us who “get it” and those who don’t. I’ve used it to draw walls between the “church” and those lost in a “denominational” world.

I’ve used it to carve out political ideologies, evangelistic techniques and worldviews based upon my own personal preferences and desires rather than investing myself in understanding the spirit of the message.

So, although, I strongly resist futile thinking when it comes to advancing the Kingdom of God, I must admit that the propensity for creating empires from a misunderstanding of Scripture will persist.

Unfortunately, this creates great pain and division.  I must imagine that when the Hebrew writer told us that the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, he must have known that when you use a sword improperly, people die, lives are shattered and the perpetrators of that destruction will then seek to justify the behavior.  What has happened is 2000+ years of justifying the practice of wielding the Sword in an improper manner.

Propagating our own interests, our own advancement, our own rights became suffused with the blessing of the text.  Hence, wars, helping only those who “deserve it,” getting ahead, protecting the interests of the nation-state have become paramount and, well, blessed.

But, ultimately, where we, as Christians, must invest ourselves is in a greater attempt to understand Scripture through the person of Jesus.  He is the Word and brings how we should live into the ultimate focus. How we are to live our lives becomes much more clear when understood through the person of Christ.

If we shed the myopic habit of justifying scripture to fit our needs, we will see a Savior who was the fulfillment of all that God called us to be. He is the one we are called to follow.  He is the one that provides the understanding of the word and will of God.

What does Jesus say about war? Maybe not as much as we would like, but He did resist armed revolution in exchange for a humble surrender to the cross.  And, regardless of whether or not there have been just wars in history we must still grapple with what His example was.
What does Jesus say about poverty? He talked about giving, about caring for the least of these. He said that to do anything less than lay our lives on the altar of compassionate care for others (ie, the poor, the forgotten, the undeserving) would be tantamount to rejecting Him.

What did He say about protecting our own self-interests? He talked a lot about dying to self, picking up crosses and following after Him.  And we know where that led.

Ultimately, the word will always be distorted and manipulated to fit whatever people want it to mean.  However, the servants of the Word must commit their lives to being an embodiment of the Christ that brings a more complete understanding of the Will of God into proper view.

It’s a lot harder to misinterpret the “Word become flesh” when it is lived out than it is to misinterpet the “word consigned to text” when it is relegated to a static document.

That is revolutionary, life-changing and world shaking.

I’m trying to get there.  I’ve got a long way to go.

Am I making sense at all?

Until I get that stupid (insert voice of Chloe and Cassie, “Daddy, you don’t say stupid”) sidebar to work here is my current reading list:

From the Library:

The Left Hand of God by Michael Lerner–Worth the read for his proposed Spiritual Covenant With America

American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation by Jon Meacham
Field Notes from a Catastrophe:  Man, Nature and Climate Change by Elizabeth Kolbert–Can we keep ignoring this?

Coming this week from Amazon:

The Politics of Jesus by John Howard Yoder –Funny, all the stuff I have read by Yoder, I have not read this, his definitive work.

Simply Christian : Why Christianity Makes Sense by N.T. Wright–Wright is one of today’s greatest living theologians.  I look forward to this latest offering.

After the Locusts: How Costly Forgiveness Is Restoring Rwanda’s Stolen Years by Meg Guillebaud

Kingdom Come: Embracing the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James Harding by John Mark Hicks and Bobby Valentine.  The message of David Lipscomb is one that greatly intrigues me.

This should keep me busy for a couple of weeks.  Is there anything better than a good book?  Don’t answer that.

What about you?  Have you read any of these offerings?  If not, what are you reading right now?

I know this quote is long but I encourage to reflect on what is said. Don’t just react if you disagree, but prayerfully consider our need to reassess our faithfulness. It is from Michael Lerner’s tremendous, insightful and indicting book, The Left Hand of God:

When Jews were enslaved by Egyptian imperial power, they were subjected to genocidal measures on the part of Pharoah (who sought to kill all the male children), constant physical oppression, material deprivation, and religious repression. It was in this context that they responded to the death of the Egyptian army sinking into the waters of the sea by celebrating God as “a man of war: and proclaiming, “Your Right Hand O Lord, is Mighty in Power” (Exodus 15:3–6)

Yet history often shows that this is a difficult balance to maintain, because once one justifies using violence and domination over others in some circumstances to overthrow oppressive rule, one can develop a psychological proclivity for using violence to solve one’s pressing problems.

What the prophets saw, and what has happened once again in contemporary Israel, is that the Torah tradition could be used to justify a social order that was in many respects the exact opposite of the loving message of God. When the message of the Right Hand of God, developed for the powerless, is adopted instead by the powerful, existing inequalities and systems of oppression are ignored and calls for social justice, peace and nonviolence are dismissed as pretty thoughts about some future messianic era (for Jews) or a Second Coming (for Christians). Arguing that the “real world” is too dangerous for the demands of the Torah, the Prophets, and Jesus to be taken seriously, the powerful insist that the only path to peace and social justice is to impose their own religous vision on the whole world, and to accept cruelty and injustice as inevitable until that apocalyptic transformation has taken place. The purveyors of this distortion can always refer, as they always have, to external threats as evidence that the world is not yet ready for the transformative call of the Left Hand of God.

Jesus railed against the Jewish establishment of his day, like other prophets had done in their own time, and once again highlighted a commitment to the poor and the oppressed. Jesus insisted that people not duplicate Rome’s oppressive rule in the way that they treated each other. His followers and many early Christians understood this message clearly–understood, as did the powerful in Rome, that it was a revolutionary message calling upon the faithful to reject the power of tyrants and embrace the power of love, which would ultimately be more forceful than anything Rome could deliver. Just as the message of Torah was tragically turned into its opposite by “the religious” and their establishment, so Christianity, taken over by Constantine, became its opposite, a system that provided justification for the powerful while ignoring or even actively subverting the needs of the poor and the powerless…

These perversions of Judaism and Christianity took place in the name of the original vision, drawing on the texts and the justifications that could be found there because at one point those triumphalist texts had provided needed empowerment for the poor and the downtrodden, and had been a psychologically necessary buttress against despair.

In the United States, the powerful have appropriated God and religion to justify imperial rule around the globe. They are not intent on using power to rectify the situation of the powerless. On the contrary, as their domestic moves make clear, they redistribute wealth upward from the poor to the rich. The global system of capital that they have created has had that same impact, increasing the suffering of the powerless while empowering a small class within each society to act as the guardian of the interests of Western capital in third-world countries.

The Religious Right allies with and provides much of the ideological cover for this development. It allows the powerful to worship their own power and then, taking the work of their own hands, declare it the God to be worshipped by all. This is pure idolatry. It allows America, the most powerful and arrogant of all the arrogant and powerful nations that exist today, to identify itself in its own mind with the oppressed children of Israel and thus to imagine that its use of force is divinely sanctioned.

It is long past time that we re-examine the prophets for what they have to teach us about Kingdom, Idolatry and chosenness.

Wherein, I attempt to answer my own questions.

A couple of months ago I did a 10 part series on how I got to where I am spiritually. Today, I begin a series where I wrestle with where I am at currently.

I will do it in the context of the questions I asked yesterday.  The posts in this series will not be static.  My views and positions are in a state of flux as I suss out what it means to be Christ-like.  But, they are my views and positions.  As always, I covet your thoughts.

At what point do we, in the church, get truly serious about weighing all scripture through the person of Jesus Christ?

In John 14:6 Jesus makes his bold pronouncement that he is “the way, and the truth, and the life.”

I imagine that every preacher has a sermon that he can dust off at a moment’s notice on this passage.

“Jesus is the way–there is no other path to salvation.”

“Jesus is the truth–there is an objective standard to understanding what is true and right”

But what about the life?  What does that mean for us?  I propose that it means much more than just a full and complete existence here on earth.  It is more than a joyful approach to day to day living.

When I have preached this passage I have focused more on the abundant life idea and less on the ethical implications of the way Jesus has called us to live.

But Jesus is not merely telling us here about some great blessing or earthly benefit to embracing Him as the Way and the Truth.  He is saying, unequivocally, that to arrive at a fuller knowledge of God we must live our lives the same way Jesus did.

I think, too often, we look at “the life” in this passage as the gift that we can expect from accepting the first two rather than an admonition to live as an embodiment of “the way” and “the truth.” We think more about what Jesus wants to give us rather than what He calls us to give.
To have the true zoe life we must filter our thoughts and actions through the Jesus filter.

We can construct a legitimate argument for war if we rely solely upon OT passages but does it pass the filter of Jesus and the life that he lived?

We can teach our children the need for self-esteem and the right we have to “stand up for ourselves” but does it pass the Jesus filter of meekness and turning the other cheek?

We can justify having enemies because of various ways that we have been wronged but does it pass the Jesus filter of loving them?

We can bog ourselves down in the minutia of scripture magnifying various proof-texts into tests of fellowship and righteousness but does that pass the Jesus filter of loving our neighbor as ourselves?

To truly have “the life,” that abundant life that Jesus promises us, we have to accept the totality of what that life means. That means the ethical implications of the life Jesus lived.

It means that we take up the basin and the towel and live servant lives.

It means that we seek not to exalt ourselves but consider others better than we are.

It means that we practice mercy, even when we don’t feel very merciful.

It means that we never stop advocating for peace over and above “security.”

It means that we be reconcilers seeking first to repair damaged relationships.

It means that we develop greater hearts for the poor.

It means that we value women and their roles in the kingdom.

It means that we seek to minister at the margins of society.

It means that our “borders” are not limited to states or nations but includes all of those for whom Jesus died.

We must be intent on living our lives as Jesus did.  It is increasingly problematic to take rashly developed exegesis of OT passages to justify nation-building and embracing “chosen” status.

The mere fact that God did something does not give us equal license to do the same. He is, after all, God.  And we are not.

But we are called to be Christ-like.  And that means living “the life.”

He is the final arbiter of how we are to live.