Jesus Brought A Sword, But Proclaimed Peace

What Did Jesus Do?

“I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.”
Matthew 10.34b

“But I say to you who hear, love your enemies...”
Luke 6.27ff

As I sit here surveying the ground I expect to cover this morning as I write, I have a certain sense that I am about to tread something of a minefield. The thing about minefields is, stepping lightly in the wrong place can still get you blown up, so one might as well step boldly.

Contrary to the opinions of the children at school who think that I am older than baseball, I was not around for V-E Day in 1945. Nonetheless, many of the scenes of of spontaneous celebration that I saw on television yesterday at the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden had a “V-E Day” quality to them. And I confess that a part of me celebrated as well. But then, in my quiet time, I recalled the Lord's words in Luke 6, and I had to again confess that my sin nature still refuses to die, though I have been crucified with Christ.

Don't get me wrong, the Bible makes it clear that those in authority (the government) bear the sword (exercise military power) for our good, acting as an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer (see Romans 13.1-4). And Bin Laden was, without a doubt, a wrongdoer, and certainly deserved to die for his crimes. But, here's the thing, before God I cannot pretend to be anything but a wrongdoer! I might not have as much blood on my hands as Osama, but they are certainly stained, and, apart from the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, I too deserve death.

So, even as the sinful part of me regrets that Bin Laden wasn't strapped on a U.S. Air Force drone loaded with high explosives, and flown into the compound of Muammar Qaddafi, the Christ nature in me knows that I should not be rejoicing in the death of a sinner, no matter how great a sinner he was. The fact that Bin Laden's body now lies on the bottom of the Persian Gulf is proof that, as elusive as he was for the last ten years, in the end he was just flesh and blood. And, let's be sure to get this, our enemies are not of flesh and blood (see Ephesians 6.12). It is against spiritual forces of darkness and evil that we are called to wage war. Bin Laden was a mere servant of a ruler far more heinous, with much more blood on his hands, than Osama.

I believe justice was done by the Seal Team that took out Bin Laden. And we can and should take satisfaction in the execution of justice. But, let us not rejoice in anyone's death. Only the devil celebrates death. Jesus Christ is the Lord of life, and his instruction to us is that we should do good to those who hurt us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who abuse us. We are to be merciful above all things, as the Father himself has shown us immeasurable mercy in and through the Son.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4