Violence

We hear a lot about violence in religion and I know that it has taken place over the years and it still goes on today.  If you think about it, it was the religious leaders in Jesus’ day that were in some ways responsible for the death of their Messiah.  

What did Jesus say in the Word in John 16:1-4, “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. And these things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you.” 

Jesus was speaking to His disciples at the time and what He said came true.  

Steven was put out of the Temple and stoned to death, and who was responsible, the religious leaders.  Saul was also there condoning what was going on and he was a Pharisee.  These people were self-righteous and were not true believers, although some came to believe in Jesus as time went on.  As time went on, Saul became a believer and his name was changed to Paul and he wrote about two thirds of the New Testament.  You can read about this in Acts 6:8-15 and 7:1-60, if you want more detail.  Jesus also told of how the world would hate his followers in John 15:17-27, if you would like to read that.  

In our society we seem to assume that every religion comes under the banner of Christianity, but according to Jesus, a person must be born-again to enter the kingdom of Heaven.  He spoke this to a religious leader named Nicodemus that didn’t know anything about that even though he was a teacher of Israel, in John 3:1-10:

“There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, ‘Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ Nicodemus said to Him, ‘How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?’ Jesus answered, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.’ Nicodemus answered and said to Him, ‘How can these things be?’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?’”     

If Jesus was about violence, before He was crucified, He could have had the whole Roman government destroyed; He could have called ten thousand or more angels, but He didn’t.  He was like a sheep being led to the slaughter and He opened not His mouth. Read Isaiah 53:7-10:

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth.

He was taken from prison and from judgment,

And who will declare His generation?

For He was cut off from the land of the living;

For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.

And they made His grave with the wicked—

But with the rich at His death,

Because He had done no violence,

Nor was any deceit in His mouth.

Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;

He has put Him to grief.

When You make His soul an offering for sin,

He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,

And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”

When Peter cut the ear off the servant, Jesus healed the man’s ear, and when we use violence then it is like cutting off the ears of people and they will not want to listen to our testimony.  If we want people to listen and hear our testimony, we need to use love, not violence.

Jesus said this in John 10:7-11, “Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.’”

When people use religion as an excuse to use violence, they are not following Jesus; they are just trying to advance their own cause.  Something to think about!  May you have a super day, and may the good Lord bless you and yours!! PS don’t forget to thank and praise the Lord!!