by Dave Brown
Ye often hear it said ...
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth
But Jesus' teaching on this subject is quite clear (Mt. 5:38-42):
Resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
Jesus was not teaching cowardice, he was teaching the courage to "fight the good fight of faith" (1 Tim. 6:12). But this is where most people part company with Jesus. Our history as well as the culture of out movies and TV consistently glamorize brute force for resolving conflicts. Our contemporary leaders who espouse passive resistance and peace, from Martin Luther King to Prime Minister Rabin, are consistently sacrificed to the God of violence.
If we use force to coerce spiritual obedience, are we any better than the worst tyrant? Are we willing to follow Jesus and take up our crosses? Christians must support (and should use) the governments which God has established to keep order in this world (Rom. 13; Acts 25:11). However, when rulers bar us from serving God, we must resist (Acts 3-4; 16:37). But there is absolutely no example of Christians taking up arms for this purpose. Christians will place their faith in God as the ruler of the universe and the one who rules over the nations (Rev. 4,5). As one whose "eye is on the sparrow," He will protect us.