For disciples of Jesus, rage and violence are NOT appropriate reactions to hostility, though certainly, his instructions in this regard are contrary to the “wisdom of this age.” Angry responses by Christians to perceived violations of their political and individual “rights” only demonstrate how far many churches have strayed from his teachings.
The issue is not whether citizens of a country
may have individual and political rights, or whether democracy, autocracy, or
monarchy is the superior form of government. For disciples of the Nazarene, the
question is, how are they to conduct themselves within whatever political
structure in which they may find themselves?
Let us begin by considering the issue of
persecution. If we become angry over even verbal insults to our faith, how will
we respond to genuine and serious persecution? Would we take to the streets in
protest, or perhaps riot against our perceived persecutors? Is that what Jesus did?
HIS EXAMPLE
Instead of the typical human reaction, he instructed
HIS disciples to “rejoice and leap for joy” whenever “men hate
you and ostracize you, and profane you, and spurn your name as evil, for the
sake of the Son of Man…for great is your reward in heaven.”
Reactions of the latter kind stand in stark contrast to our human tendency to lash out at every infringement on our “rights,” whether real or imagined - (Matthew 5:10-12).
And Jesus left us with a real-world example
of how we should show mercy to our enemies. In Gethsemane, an armed mob
approached him, determined to arrest Jesus and haul him off to be grilled by
the priestly authorities.
Peter reacted all too typically, cutting
the ear off the servant of the high priest with his sword. Mind you, if ever
there was a man innocent of all charges, it was Jesus. Surely, this was
an incident when violence committed in self-defense was justified. Had not the
high priest’s “servant” come armed with a club to arrest him on trumped-up
charges?
But Jesus did
the unexpected. He touched the man and healed his ear. Mind you, he
was
under no illusions about what was coming Not many days
previously he had warned the disciples that he would be “betrayed
to the chief priests and the scribes. And they will
condemn him to death… and they shall mock him, and spit upon him,
and scourge him, and kill him.”
THE APOSTLES
And after his resurrection, the disciples took
his teachings to heart. When Peter and the Apostles were hauled before the
Sanhedrin, beaten, and ordered to cease preaching, rather than respond in anger,
denounce the high priest, or demand their day in court, they went their way “rejoicing
that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.”
Likewise, after being beaten and imprisoned
for preaching the gospel, Paul and Silas spent the night “praying and
singing hymns to God” from their prison cell - (Acts 5:41, 16:23-25).
On the “mount,”
Jesus exhorted everyone who would follow him to “love your enemies, to pray
for them who persecute you,” and to extend mercy to every “enemy”
who abuses you. Acts of mercy to one’s enemies are how his disciple emulates God
and becomes “perfect” as He is - (Matthew 5:38-48).
He was the
only truly righteous man ever to live. If anyone deserved respect for his
“rights,” he did. Yet rather than be served, Jesus came “to serve and to
give his life a ransom for many.” This he did by enduring a horrific and unjust
death even for the “enemies of God.” If anything, conforming to the
pattern of his death is how his disciple becomes “great in the kingdom of
God” - (Matthew 20:28, Romans 5:10).
When interrogated,
beaten, and reviled before the High Priest, Jesus reviled not in return. While
suffering on a Roman cross, he prayed that his Father would “forgive them,
for they know not what they do” - (Matthew 27:39, Mark 15:32, Luke 23:34).
Scripture portrays persecution for the gospel as something disciples should expect and endure, and not only so, but to suffer for Christ is a great privilege and honor, a matter of rejoicing.
Through loud protests and legal
machinations, we may avoid persecution but then unwittingly rob ourselves of
something of infinitely greater value than a comfortable life. Like the hypocrites who do their righteous
deeds before men, they may already “have their reward,” but NOT “with
their Father who is in heaven” - (Matthew 6:1-5).
As for our “inherent rights,” the notion of
inviolate civil “rights” that must be defended at all costs is incompatible
with New Testament teachings on discipleship, mercy, suffering for the gospel, and
the forgiveness of enemies. Failure to do so makes us unworthy of him. To
become the "greatest" in the kingdom of God, one must first become
the “slave of all.”
The Apostle Paul gave up his “right” to
take a wife for the sake of the ministry. Likewise, though as an apostle he had
the right to expect financial support, he often abstained from this “right,”
and instead, supported himself through manual labor to further the gospel - (Acts
18:3, 1 Corinthians 4:11-12, 9:1-14).
Western-style democracy may
provide its citizens with the opportunity to exercise and defend their civil “rights.”
However, that belief is altogether different than the teachings and example of
Jesus.
In contrast to this world, followers
of Jesus are offered the far greater privilege of serving God’s kingdom, and the
vast honor of enduring insults, hatred, and even persecution on behalf of its
king, and rewards that far outweigh any losses we may incur in this life while
we wait for the appearance of our Lord in glory.