Daily Lesson for July 19, 2016

Today's Daily Lesson comes from Matthew chapter 26 verses 47 through 52:

47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.” Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

A couple of years back Reza Aslan, a former Christian turned Muslim religious scholar, wrote a bestselling book titled "Zealot" which basically implied that Jesus was a revolutionary figure who was put to death for fomenting a violent insurrection against the occupying Roman military and political power.

Indeed, these were the charges leveled against Jesus by those who sought his execution. Jesus' followers, however, were adamant in their defense of Jesus, stating consistently again and again in the documents we would later know as the Gospels that though the State's charge against was inciting violence, Jesus in fact categorically rejected violence -- even to the point of refusing to defend himself.

Jesus taught that violence is not only wrong, but also ineffective and ultimately even suicidal. "Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword." What we have witnessed in recent days in both Dallas and Baton Rouge are cases in point. Those who take up guns die by guns.

Jesus was a brown-skinned man from Galilee, a region known for its hostile and rebellious defiance against Roman authority and abuse. He had among his followers zealots, people who had studied and trained and were prepared to die in revolt.  Yet Jesus taught another way.  He too was willing to die, but not with a sword in his hand. He too was willing to give his life, in an act of love and not in of hate.

Jesus tried to teach that other way; and he is still trying to teach it now.

It is the only way that makes for peace.