Filed under: Christian Living | Tags: Non-violence, Peace, Resistance, Sermon on the Mount
I must confess that the topic on which I have been meditating recently is probably my greatest weakness in my own life. I do not write this as a condemnation of others, but rather as a humble confession. My hope is that people who struggle with my habits would hear truth and would repent in the way I am repenting. I feel much like Paul in Romans 7:15 when he writes, “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” With that said, I want to discuss the subject of resisting evil.
In Matthew 5:38, Jesus teaches His disciples saying, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’“ Jesus is referring to Torah’s answer to crime (Exodus 21:24), but he is not discrediting it outright. I know quite a few skeptics who would say that Jesus has a very low view of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), but those people forget that it was the only scripture, which Jesus knew. When Jesus quotes Torah and expounds upon it, He does so with the highest authority because the scriptures “bear witness about” Jesus (John 5:39). So let’s do away with the nonsense that Jesus was trying to do away with the Hebrew Bible; Jesus himself is its fulfillment (Matthew 5:17).
Getting back to the point, Jesus does quote Exodus saying, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” He quotes this because this God’s word and it is truth. Matthew 16:27 tells us that, “the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.” In Revelation 22:12 Jesus declares: “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.” These are absolute realities and Jesus knew this. Jesus is going to teach something that sounds like it is in direct contradiction to the Old Testament, but it is not. Jesus never disputes the “eye for an eye” line, but his teaching for His followers is different because He wants them to remember that, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19). Some recent Christians want us to believe that God is not angry with sinners, but they forget that God “hates the wicked and the one who loves violence” (Psalm 11:5). God is still angry with sinners, let there be no question there. The only hope sinners have is Jesus, the one who intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34).
So that is where Jesus begins, “an eye for an eye.” But, He has something for His followers that is going to be a sign of the gospel among the whole world. He tells them:
“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. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you” (Matthew 5:39-42).
Like I said before, Jesus seems to be contradicting what He previously said, but in fact, He is not. Jesus is teaching his disciples to act out His gospel. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Sinners still deserve death, but God chooses to spare some from His wrath. The method He accomplishes this with is by sacrificing His son. Jesus’ followers are called to do the same. Now don’t misunderstand, Jesus does not intend for you to turn the other cheek because you will save people from their sins. But your obedience in turning the other cheek might be the sign that God uses to point people towards His Son, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8). By not resisting evil, we are able to say as Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” As I meditate over these ideas, I am hugely convicted because they are possibly the clearest expressions of the gospel, but they are the practices most absent in my own life.
Another misconception we need avoid is that we are communicating Jesus’ permission of sin. Make no mistake, Jesus not condemning the woman caught in adultery was high on His list of priorities, but so was repentance. Romans 2:4 tells us, “that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance.” This is my biggest qualm with street preachers who scream at people on busy sidewalks. They forget that, “he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47). Maybe these people have not embraced their own forgiveness enough. If God’s kindness is meant to lead people to repentance, then not resisting evildoers might be the missing piece of the gospel proclamation.
Some may protest that this is not a practical way to live one’s life. Turning the other cheek doesn’t seem like a good survival strategy. Well, what crazy heretic told you that Christianity is about survival strategies? “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39). The problem with Jesus’ methods isn’t that they aren’t practical; it’s that aren’t comfortable. They are problematic when comfort comes before conviction and entitlement comes before humility. This is part of Jesus’ plan for loving our enemies, and if we do not take part in His plan we are no different from anyone else (Matthew 5:46-47). This is the plan for peace. The only way to stop violence is with non-violence. The only way to combat hate is with purposeful love. In this way we might “be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). In a world where the circle of violence reigns supreme, this is our only hope.
Filed under: Apologetics, Uncategorized | Tags: Apologetics, Atheism, Questions
I recently stumbled upon this video on YouTube which insists that every Christian must answer these 10 questions. The questions are as follows:
- Why won’t God heal amputees?
- Why are there so many starving people in the world?
- Why does God demand the death of so many innocent people in the Bible
- Why does the Bible contain so much anti-scientific nonsense?
- Why is God such a huge proponent of slavery in the Bible?
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why didn’t any of Jesus’ miracles in the Bible leave behind any evidence?
- How do we explain the fact that Jesus has never appeared to you?
- Why would Jesus want you to eat his body and drink his blood?
- Why do Christians get divorced at the same rate as non-Christians?
The creator of this video insists that the answer to all of these questions is simply: “God is imaginary.” In light of this answer the speaker maintains that “When you use your brain and when you think logically about your religious faith, you can reach only one conclusion…” The said conclusion is simply that God is imaginary. I must say that I am intrigued by this logic, but it is not this specific argument that I am concerned with.
I am truly interested in finding this fountain of knowledge and sound thinking which militant atheists seem to be drinking from. My friend who hides behind his YouTube video (and website…Why won’t God heal amputees?) insists with full assurance that an imaginary god is the only conclusion to his questions. Richard Dawkins tells us that God is a delusion and Christopher Hitchens maintains that God is not great at all. The overarching theme seems to be that there’s no way in hell (which is not a real place) that God is real. What I am truly puzzled about is how men such as Dawkins and Hitchens, who hold science to be the highest authority, have become so arrogant to look in the other direction in regards to their own convictions. We as a human race (not just individuals, but collectively), know so little of all available knowledge, I am just not sure how anyone is an atheist. If an atheist believes that God does not exist and an agnostic believes that God may exist, but one cannot or does not know; Why does anyone pull the atheism card?
Now my main point is not to argue against atheism or even to try to defend God (He surely does not need my help), but I would like to discuss the criticisms I see happening. The “10 Questions” video questions why God would care about what day of the week a person works and Hitchens outright claims that believing in Jesus taking other’s sins on the cross is immoral. I wonder if these men would argue against physics when their car comes to a stop. I wonder if they would argue against a teacher after clearly having marked the wrong answer on a test. I guess what I’m saying is, “When did we get the right to argue against reality?” If God exists and He is the ultimate reality, how would Christopher Hitchens critique of substitutionary atonement matter one bit? And furthermore, they are giving some credit to the idea because they are arguing against it in the first place. People do not tend to oppose that which does not exist. C.S. Lewis puts it best in Mere Christianity when he writes, “When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all.”
In light of the 10 Questions for Christians, I think I have some questions for atheists?
- Why have humans somehow reversed natural selection (i.e. Why do we care for the poor and help those who can’t help themselves?) even though it always has worked the same way without exception.
- Why are morals important if there is no higher authority, no afterlife and essentially no meaning?
- Why do people have desires for something that can never be quenched by this world (i.e. people are hungry therefore there is such thing as food, people get thirsty therefore there is such thing as drink, etc…)?
- Where do ideas like love come from (no biochemistry please)?
- How has the crazy story of a carpenter God from Nazareth, Israel fooled so many people into giving up their lives for a nonsensical tale?
My list isn’t exhaustive, but I might suggest that the answer to all these questions is: “God is real and He is the ultimate reality.”
