Sijo Chemmannur
Member
"No more of this" Luke 22:51
There is an unprecedented need of peace in the world today. According to the new report from the institute of economics and peace, 32,658 people were killed due to terrorism in 2014 compared to 18,111 in 2013. Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIL in Middle East were jointly responsible for 51% of all claimed global fatalities in 2014. Iraq continues to be the country most impacted by terrorism with 9,929 terrorist fatalities the highest ever recorded in a single country. Over 61,000 terrorist attacks are reported since 2000 killing more than 140,000 people. In year 2015, already 289 terrorist attacks are reported including the terrorist attacks in France, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Mali. More people died from terrorism last year than ever before.
Terrorism is any act to cause terror with extremist ideology. Any act of violence, even if it is for a good cause or retaliation of the oppressed is to be condemned. We are not to be repay evil or violence but by upholding the values of peace and harmony. 'Do not take revenge' (Romans 12:19). 'Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing' (1 Peter 3:9). We are called for being a blessing for the world. This world is not a magic platter for the majority. People go through unending sufferings, torture and exploitation by the mighty and powerful. One quarter of the world is controlling the rest through their economic and political power. Inequalities and injustice are ruling the world, where people try to react/revolt against it in a way of extremism and violence.
In the current passage, Jesus Christ was with His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane after the last supper. Judas came and kissed Jesus Christ, soldiers all arrived to take Jesus and get him arrested. Then Peter reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear (Matthew 26:51). Many people might ask what is wrong with the action of Peter to protect his master Jesus Christ. He walked with Jesus around three and a half years guarding and caring him all through the missionary works. He is one of the closest disciple of Jesus and took special care of Him in the midst of large crowd clustering around. He might have kept the sword to pay the ways through the un-walked areas and for the self-protection from animal attacks. Now, the current predicament was that soldiers are arresting Jesus Christ as if He is leading a rebellion against the authority of Jews. A rebellion of good verses evil and a presaged victory of justice verses injustice. Peter thought it is the real crusade and at a brisk of the moment, he thought he can take any way to attain the win over evil. He might have thought that the goal is more important than the ways to attain it.
Jesus Christ gave a clear and loud remark for what His disciple did. “Put your sword back in its place” (Matthew 26:52) He rebuked His disciple and said "Stop! No more of this" (Luke 22:51) “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). Jesus Christ upheld the importance of the way we take to attain our goal. This is in direct contradiction to many of the religious thoughts and teachings. A devoted heart to do the will of Christ is more important to our God than our ambitions and our destinations, including salvation and heaven. "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:28). It needs huge courage and maturity to forgive those who do injustice and violence against us, but Christ never ever took a path of violence or extremism even to His cursed death on the cross. He want all of us to follow Him in patience and obedience.
When violence and injustice are around and empowering us, the only path Jesus Christ show is the way of non violence and peace. The courage of the hearts is the need for the day to stand up against in justice. This is the way great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela showed us. When the mighty and the powerful are against us, God wants us to be patient and trust in Him. The same trust which Moses showed to God, when he was told by God to go and speak in the court of the Pharaoh. We do have the promise that our Lord Jesus Christ will lead us.
There is an unprecedented need of peace in the world today. According to the new report from the institute of economics and peace, 32,658 people were killed due to terrorism in 2014 compared to 18,111 in 2013. Boko Haram in Nigeria and ISIL in Middle East were jointly responsible for 51% of all claimed global fatalities in 2014. Iraq continues to be the country most impacted by terrorism with 9,929 terrorist fatalities the highest ever recorded in a single country. Over 61,000 terrorist attacks are reported since 2000 killing more than 140,000 people. In year 2015, already 289 terrorist attacks are reported including the terrorist attacks in France, Nigeria, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Mali. More people died from terrorism last year than ever before.
Terrorism is any act to cause terror with extremist ideology. Any act of violence, even if it is for a good cause or retaliation of the oppressed is to be condemned. We are not to be repay evil or violence but by upholding the values of peace and harmony. 'Do not take revenge' (Romans 12:19). 'Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing' (1 Peter 3:9). We are called for being a blessing for the world. This world is not a magic platter for the majority. People go through unending sufferings, torture and exploitation by the mighty and powerful. One quarter of the world is controlling the rest through their economic and political power. Inequalities and injustice are ruling the world, where people try to react/revolt against it in a way of extremism and violence.
In the current passage, Jesus Christ was with His disciples in the garden of Gethsemane after the last supper. Judas came and kissed Jesus Christ, soldiers all arrived to take Jesus and get him arrested. Then Peter reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear (Matthew 26:51). Many people might ask what is wrong with the action of Peter to protect his master Jesus Christ. He walked with Jesus around three and a half years guarding and caring him all through the missionary works. He is one of the closest disciple of Jesus and took special care of Him in the midst of large crowd clustering around. He might have kept the sword to pay the ways through the un-walked areas and for the self-protection from animal attacks. Now, the current predicament was that soldiers are arresting Jesus Christ as if He is leading a rebellion against the authority of Jews. A rebellion of good verses evil and a presaged victory of justice verses injustice. Peter thought it is the real crusade and at a brisk of the moment, he thought he can take any way to attain the win over evil. He might have thought that the goal is more important than the ways to attain it.
Jesus Christ gave a clear and loud remark for what His disciple did. “Put your sword back in its place” (Matthew 26:52) He rebuked His disciple and said "Stop! No more of this" (Luke 22:51) “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). Jesus Christ upheld the importance of the way we take to attain our goal. This is in direct contradiction to many of the religious thoughts and teachings. A devoted heart to do the will of Christ is more important to our God than our ambitions and our destinations, including salvation and heaven. "Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:28). It needs huge courage and maturity to forgive those who do injustice and violence against us, but Christ never ever took a path of violence or extremism even to His cursed death on the cross. He want all of us to follow Him in patience and obedience.
When violence and injustice are around and empowering us, the only path Jesus Christ show is the way of non violence and peace. The courage of the hearts is the need for the day to stand up against in justice. This is the way great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela showed us. When the mighty and the powerful are against us, God wants us to be patient and trust in Him. The same trust which Moses showed to God, when he was told by God to go and speak in the court of the Pharaoh. We do have the promise that our Lord Jesus Christ will lead us.
