Terminating War

by Daniel H. Shubin
Part 2.

Because the Kingdom of God is within you, it is with us, every one of us as individuals that war should terminate. As a body we are members of the Kingdom of God which is in heaven, so our attitude is that of a spiritual migrant: we are temporary travelers passing through the earthly course of our life in order to attain the Kingdom when it arrives here from heaven. For this reason the political affairs of this world are not our concern: the enemies of the state are not our enemies, and so nationalism and imperialism do not concern us.

A person is not the enemy, as the Apostle wrote: For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of the present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Eph 6:12. The enemy transcends flesh and blood, the enemy is sin, that drive in a person that causes harm to another person, that wants us to hate another person. Just as the Kingdom of God is within us, so is the enemy within us, which is sin. As Jesus said, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. Matt 15:19. The real enemy to be defeated is sin within us, not some person.

Jesus said, You have heard it said of old, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say unto you, do not resist the evil person. If he strikes you on the left, turn to him the right. Matt 5: 38.39. Jesus is telling us not to contribute to further violence by retribution, but rather to tolerate the insult and abuse, and to indicate to the abuser that he is not your enemy. Jesus knew that mortal violence, retaliation or vengeance or retribution did not resolve any issue.

Jesus said, You have heard it said of old, Love your friends, but hate your enemies. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that persecute you, in order for you to become the children of your Father who is in heaven. Matt 5:43-45. No other person in history has taught to have a sincere concern for the welfare of the enemy, in order to indicate to him that he is not an enemy.

When Jesus healed the servant of the Roman centurion in Matt 9, and complemented his faith, he was showing kindness to the enemy, the Roman military occupation, for this person to realize that the Jews were not their enemy, but sin was. And when the Angel sent apostle Peter to evangelize to Cornelius the Roman soldier, it was with the same intent, to indicate to him that it was a Jew, the Roman’s enemy, who was bringing the message of salvation. Eventually Cornelius would accept the Gospel and cease being a soldier, now acknowledging that the Jew was not his enemy.

Jesus exemplified his message in his own life and so materialized his convictions. After Peter cut off the ear of a palace guard, Jesus immediately healed the soldier, and then told Peter to put the weapon back in its place, because whoever would live by a weapon will die by a weapon. In this manner did Jesus make it clear that Christians should not utilize a weapon in any situation.

During his trial and humiliation and crucifixion, Jesus did not defend himself using any violence, but he allowed them to kill him. By his own example he showed that it was better to suffer abuse, insult, beating, and even your own death, than to utilize violence. This is the path of the true disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, to tolerate abuse and insult, rather than implement retaliation and vengeance, and even if it means tolerating the worst abuse of all, the unjust termination of your own life.

Jesus said, Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. John 14:27. The peace of the empires and nations and kingdoms of this world are a strong military, to scare others from attacking or invading, or to be able to defend themselves militarily if attacked or invaded. But the peace of Jesus of Nazareth is no military, for no country or nation to possess a military. True peace on earth with good will toward men will occur when no nation has a military, and this begins individually with each disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, the Prince of Peace.

Dan Shubin's website http://www.peacehost.net/peacechurch/