I grow weary of how Christianity is presented these days. We are seen as saints to be steam rolled; to be stomped on by sinners. The image of us is someone who is perpetually smacked and just smiles. Its disgusting! While yes we are suppose to show mercy and "love our enemies," we also are called to be soldiers of Christ. (2 Timothy 2:3). I am tired of this wimpy, and weak followers of the Way! We are to be warriors for Christ! To stand firm and show the world the Almighty God!
Roma Downey in an interview for "Son of God" said, "It is cool to be Christian." Indeed. We are suppose to be supernaturally empowered mighty men and women of Christ who can "move mountains" and "knock over armies" with our faith. But instead the world sees people who speak in baby voices and act afraid to offend anyone. I've got news for you, to share the Good News, to be follower of Christ is to offend everyone! In point of fact our very existence is going to infuriate people, for Jesus said, "all nations will hate you for my sake." (Matthew 10:22). So it is time we go over the whole politically correct and inoffensive disposition now!
The World when it looks at us should see saints holding the banner of their Lord, wielding swords (not carnal, but spiritual) in a battle against the forces of darkness and for the souls of the lost. Christians are cool! For God who is Christ Jesus is cool! Read the Bible and you will see amazing things, read Revelation alone and the Arthurian legends are put to shame. And yet this is not how Christians are seen. Instead, we have the atypical movies with happy families that work out problem and all smile with white teeth and inoffensive teaching. Only now are some Christians trying to capture the epic and powerful side of Christianity and show the world just what God is like!
Jesus was no push over, He said things that today many Christians would be afraid to say. Our Lord said to his religious enemies, "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?" (Matthew 23:33). Not something many saints and servants of Christ today would say. Jesus also said, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44). How many disciples of Christ would say these words to people? Yet our Lord and Savior said them! If those Scriptures do not convince you that Christ is not peace loving hippy who holds his tongue all the time, read this, "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law--a man's enemies will be the members of his own household." (Matthew 10:6).
Some have sought to reinterpret this verse to not mean a literal turning of family members against each other. That it is symbolic. But how can it be taken symbolically? Jesus is rather clear here, that he did not come to bring peace to earth, but a sword and he will divide families and they will be enemies. Now some think this a dispensation or for a season only. That Jesus means those who follow Him may have unsaved family members, and to stay disciple of Christ they will have to become enemies of their brothers, sisters, and even parents. But there is no qualifier here and I have seen in my own life families be divided, that Jesus has rendered asunder relationships between father and son, daughter and mother.
Christ Jesus is not a hippy, nor does He just endure people forever. For in Matthew 25 there are parables about Jesus saying to many who claim to be his servants, "I never knew you, away with you the gnashing of teeth and outer darkness." (Matthew 25:30). If we open the Book of Revelation we see that Jesus Christ is going to, "trod the winepress of wrath, and the blood will be up to the bridle and for 200 miles." (Revelation 14:20). This is not a God to be messed with, and abuse His mercies. Yes Jesus died for our sins on the cross and has grace for us. But there are starling verses like, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left" (Hebrews 10:26) and "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." (2 Peter 2:20, cross ref 1 John 5:16).
Many cite that Jesus wanted us to be pacifists and just be push over by quoting, "But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." (Matthew 5:39). The problem here is context. The Gospel of Matthew that is quoted in is also the same book where Jesus says,"I did not come to bring peace, but a sword," alt in Matthew 10. We also need to read the verse before "turn the other cheek," which reads, "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth." (verse 38). Jesus is addressing a culture where people pay others back severely for what they have done; a society of revenge, so He gives them an extreme in the opposite direction. Also if you understand the customs of Jews in time of Jesus, there was a way you slapped people with the back of your hand, it was an insult and if you turn the other cheek, then the hand would miss you and so this passage can be reinterpreted as, "do not receive the offense again."
As Christ Followers were called to be courageous and kind. (). Jesus tells us the disposition we should have, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd (wise) as snakes and as innocent (gentle) as doves." (Matthew 10:16). We are to be mighty men and women who are not afraid to show the world both a God of Mercy on the Cross and Almighty God with a sword. The balance is what people need to see. Stop being cowards, who let others steam roll you and step all over you, but instead stand up for yourself and your Savior. Speak out, with the Holy Spirit's words and if necessary, "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet." (Matthew 10:14). To dust off you feet is like a curse, for Jesus says, "Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town." (Matthew 10:15)
Addendum:
Some other examples of Jesus not just being pushover or pacifist:
"Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son.." (John 5:22)
"So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables." (John 2:15)
"Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves." (Matthew 21:12)
"But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me." (Luke 19:27)
"The Master (Jesus) of that slave (servant) will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 24:51)
"A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, they, too, will drink the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb." (Revelation 14:10)
"Six Bowls of God's Wrath: 16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple, saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant sore on the people who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.3 The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living thing in the sea died.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters; and they became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “Righteous are You, who are and who were, O Holy One, because You judged these things; 6 for they poured out the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them blood to drink. They deserve it.” 7 And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”
8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire. 9 Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.
10 Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11 and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east." (Revelation 16: 1-12)
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