December 19, 1995
“If those who want peace are just as interested in success, popularity and power as those who want war, what then is the difference between war and peace?” (H. Nouwen)
Good question. It interests me that Jesus Christ offered both war and peace. He said, “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” but also said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you.”
Why the contradiction? Was Jesus interested only in results and not at all concerned with the means used to get them? Did it matter to Him whether He became popular with promises of peace or powerful with promises of a sword? What was He trying to say?
Some think Jesus enjoyed popularity but when it leveled off, He and His disciples concocted a plot — if He “died” and “rose from the dead” no one would ever forget Him. In other words, Jesus was no different than anyone else who seeks personal success, fame and power. Securing a name for Himself and a following was the most important thing.
If Jesus was interested only in success, popularity and power, He had to be mentally warped. Nothing He did secured any of those three. The world, even in His day, measures success by wealth and position. Jesus was a mere carpenter and an itinerant preacher who died without owning any land or houses, only the clothes on His back. He was penniless.
Popularity is measured by the number of people who like you and stick with you. It is not the same as notoriety. If Jesus wanted only to be popular, why then did He make decisions that caused even His closest friends to misunderstand Him and eventually desert Him?
Power was measured in His day by the size of a man’s army and the number of His weapons. Jesus had no army. His power was kindness and forgiveness, with which He gathered a following of fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes, and other “low life” of society who hardly fit anyone’s idea of an army.
Even the “power” He had had no influence on Jewish leaders, except a few who were too afraid to let anyone know they followed Him. He also had no influence over political leaders. Herod tried to kill Him as a baby, and subsequent Roman leaders willingly allowed the Jews to crucify Him. Even on the cross, Jesus did not choose power. The crowds mocked Him saying, “You saved others... come down... save yourself” but He refused to call out for help, either to His Father or to “legions of angels.”
Was Jesus’ idea of success twisted? No, but His concept was different. He knew the Scripture said, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” To Him, success was obeying everything God said. He was successful at doing that.
Jesus did not have a twisted idea of popularity either. He simply was not as concerned with the applause of men as He was with pleasing God. The Apostle Paul later wrote, “I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God....” Of Him, God said, “This is My Beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased.” Jesus was popular — with the One Person who counts.
As for power, the Bible says Jesus had no human armies and even though He could have called on angels to deliver Him from death, He instead affirmed that spiritual might is not in swords and spears. The Bible says the “weakness of God (in becoming a vulnerable man and dying) is stronger than men.” His death accomplished the purpose of God in providing redemption for sinful man. However, His “weakness was not permanent. Jesus also has the “power of an endless life” — and He lives and reigns forever at the right hand of His Father.
Rather than challenge the difference between those who want war and those who want peace, Nouwen would be wise to inquire about different views of success, popularity and power. He might discover it is possible, even in the midst of conflict, to have peace.
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Showing posts with label war. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
The Worst Fear .............. Parables 252
(January 30, 1991)
“Our worst fears came true Wednesday...” began the news story.
The outbreak of war in the Middle East seems to be the “worst fear” of at least one journalist and perhaps many other people. Wars are continually being fought, why is this one war causing the “worst fear”?
Part of the reason for such fear is the attitude of Saddam Hussein. He apparently has no concern for human life, not even that of his own people never mind those who have combined forces to put him out of Kuwait. He has been compared to Hitler and himself says he will fight to the death.
Others are afraid because the war involves the superpowers. If Canada and the United States are fighting, are we not open to retaliation from fringe groups and Iraqi terrorists? Are airports, department stores, even the streets safe for us? War has not just invaded our living rooms via television, some fear that it will suddenly come into our back yards.
And what about the weaponry? The United States has clearly demonstrated the incredible power of their high tech equipment. Bombs have not only been accurately dropped, but cunningly directed through the doors of buildings to explode inside. The Iraqi missiles also put terror into hearts, at least the hearts of many Israelis. During one raid, some even died from heart attacks, not actual injuries.
Some are afraid because the war could be extended over a long time and distance, involving more soldiers and unimaginable casualties. No longer is it a movie that involves actors and ketchup but real people with families that love them and don’t want to lose them. Along with that is a fear that our own loved ones are at direct risk. Many have family members in the services, perhaps even at the front. Some fear conscription is a possibility. Who would want their young sons to be drafted and sent into battle?
Those fears are heightened because most of our generation has not seen war, at least directly. The conflicts in Korea, Viet Nam, even Iran/Iraq were far-away because WE were not involved. Now we are. We don’t know how to think about war, so fear governs.
Perhaps another reason this war is feared as the “worst” fear relates to Biblical prophecy. Even many who never read the Bible are aware of a final battle where nations gather together against the people of Israel. Then the Lord God intervenes in judgment, bringing the world to a horrible end and establishing a new heavens and a new earth. The place of this battle will be a valley called Armageddon, about 60 kilometers northeast of Tel Aviv.
Some determine not to fear Armageddon, dismissing it as myth. Christians wonder. Is the stage being set? Are these the last days of this age before our Lord will return? If so, should we be afraid?
The Bible says many things about war and about a final war, but none of them give my heart the assurance that comes from passages that speak of the power of God. The enemies may be great, the weapons may be awesome, but none compare to the power of God. Psalms 46:8,9 say: “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; He burns the chariot in the fire.”
Iraq and allies alike are no match for God. The kings of the earth may set themselves against Him but Psalm 2 says He laughs at them. He is the one that controls the destiny of the nations, not the one with the most guns and the biggest or most accurate bombs.
While today’s Israelites are wondering if the prophecies in Jeremiah 50 and 51 are what God has planned for modern Iraq (historic Babylon), God’s first concern is to give all men and women inner peace, the kind that endures threats and shelling alike. Psalms 46:10 invites each one of us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Anyone who has that knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ, can be confident amid fear, for in His time, He “will be exalted among the heathen, He will be exalted in the earth.”
“Our worst fears came true Wednesday...” began the news story.
The outbreak of war in the Middle East seems to be the “worst fear” of at least one journalist and perhaps many other people. Wars are continually being fought, why is this one war causing the “worst fear”?
Part of the reason for such fear is the attitude of Saddam Hussein. He apparently has no concern for human life, not even that of his own people never mind those who have combined forces to put him out of Kuwait. He has been compared to Hitler and himself says he will fight to the death.
Others are afraid because the war involves the superpowers. If Canada and the United States are fighting, are we not open to retaliation from fringe groups and Iraqi terrorists? Are airports, department stores, even the streets safe for us? War has not just invaded our living rooms via television, some fear that it will suddenly come into our back yards.
And what about the weaponry? The United States has clearly demonstrated the incredible power of their high tech equipment. Bombs have not only been accurately dropped, but cunningly directed through the doors of buildings to explode inside. The Iraqi missiles also put terror into hearts, at least the hearts of many Israelis. During one raid, some even died from heart attacks, not actual injuries.
Some are afraid because the war could be extended over a long time and distance, involving more soldiers and unimaginable casualties. No longer is it a movie that involves actors and ketchup but real people with families that love them and don’t want to lose them. Along with that is a fear that our own loved ones are at direct risk. Many have family members in the services, perhaps even at the front. Some fear conscription is a possibility. Who would want their young sons to be drafted and sent into battle?
Those fears are heightened because most of our generation has not seen war, at least directly. The conflicts in Korea, Viet Nam, even Iran/Iraq were far-away because WE were not involved. Now we are. We don’t know how to think about war, so fear governs.
Perhaps another reason this war is feared as the “worst” fear relates to Biblical prophecy. Even many who never read the Bible are aware of a final battle where nations gather together against the people of Israel. Then the Lord God intervenes in judgment, bringing the world to a horrible end and establishing a new heavens and a new earth. The place of this battle will be a valley called Armageddon, about 60 kilometers northeast of Tel Aviv.
Some determine not to fear Armageddon, dismissing it as myth. Christians wonder. Is the stage being set? Are these the last days of this age before our Lord will return? If so, should we be afraid?
The Bible says many things about war and about a final war, but none of them give my heart the assurance that comes from passages that speak of the power of God. The enemies may be great, the weapons may be awesome, but none compare to the power of God. Psalms 46:8,9 say: “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He has made in the earth. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaks the bow, and cuts the spear in sunder; He burns the chariot in the fire.”
Iraq and allies alike are no match for God. The kings of the earth may set themselves against Him but Psalm 2 says He laughs at them. He is the one that controls the destiny of the nations, not the one with the most guns and the biggest or most accurate bombs.
While today’s Israelites are wondering if the prophecies in Jeremiah 50 and 51 are what God has planned for modern Iraq (historic Babylon), God’s first concern is to give all men and women inner peace, the kind that endures threats and shelling alike. Psalms 46:10 invites each one of us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” Anyone who has that knowledge through faith in Jesus Christ, can be confident amid fear, for in His time, He “will be exalted among the heathen, He will be exalted in the earth.”
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Will there always be war? ................... Parables 016
“WAR: a conflict between two parties or nations.” That is the simple dictionary definition for what seems to be a constant threat or a bloody reality in at least one location in the world at any given time.
Most of the time the issues seems to be tremendously complex, whether the war is over a toy dump truck, which TV channel to watch, or a piece of land. Each of the parties involved usually has a long explanation to justify their right to have or take whatever it is they want, or to prevent the other party to take from them. If we could simplify the thinking behind most conflict, perhaps we would hear, “This is mine and I won’t let you take it” or “I like what you have and I am going to take it from you.”
It is relatively easy to sit in front of the evening news and say, “Why don’t they just stop fighting? It’s not worth it.” But the next time the other league team laughs as they walk away with “your” trophy, or someone cuts you off on the highway, or pushes their way into the line-up in front of you, or short-changes you, or takes a swipe at your dignity, let the welling-up of emotion be a reminder -- here is the stuff from which wars are made. They start within the heart of just one person.
The Bible says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:1-3).
Some people declare that the way to end war is to “knock all the fight out of the other guy.” Others say that “it takes two to fight, and if one will refuse, the other one has no one to fight.” Others are certain that treaties and agreements will do it. Not according to God’s Word. James points right to the heart of conflict in saying that the motivation behind war is in the sinful desires of the heart.
While we tend to defend the ones that have been defending themselves, or the ones that have been threatened, or whose property has been taken, or whose peace has been disrupted, God first takes a look at the heart. when one man asked Christ to make his brother divide the inheritance with him, Jesus said, “Who made me a judge or a divider over you? Beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:13-15).
God’s solution for conflict is to literally go right to the heart of the problem, and change it by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit in what is called a new birth, giving people a new heart with new motives, new trust in the Lord’s provision, and new contentment with what He provides. He says, “And you shall be clean from all your filthiness and your idols... a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you... and I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes...” (Ezekiel 36:25,26).
Whether on the freeways, or in the jungles, sandbox or Sahara, war will never cease unless hearts are changed.
Most of the time the issues seems to be tremendously complex, whether the war is over a toy dump truck, which TV channel to watch, or a piece of land. Each of the parties involved usually has a long explanation to justify their right to have or take whatever it is they want, or to prevent the other party to take from them. If we could simplify the thinking behind most conflict, perhaps we would hear, “This is mine and I won’t let you take it” or “I like what you have and I am going to take it from you.”
It is relatively easy to sit in front of the evening news and say, “Why don’t they just stop fighting? It’s not worth it.” But the next time the other league team laughs as they walk away with “your” trophy, or someone cuts you off on the highway, or pushes their way into the line-up in front of you, or short-changes you, or takes a swipe at your dignity, let the welling-up of emotion be a reminder -- here is the stuff from which wars are made. They start within the heart of just one person.
The Bible says, “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive because you ask with the wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:1-3).
Some people declare that the way to end war is to “knock all the fight out of the other guy.” Others say that “it takes two to fight, and if one will refuse, the other one has no one to fight.” Others are certain that treaties and agreements will do it. Not according to God’s Word. James points right to the heart of conflict in saying that the motivation behind war is in the sinful desires of the heart.
While we tend to defend the ones that have been defending themselves, or the ones that have been threatened, or whose property has been taken, or whose peace has been disrupted, God first takes a look at the heart. when one man asked Christ to make his brother divide the inheritance with him, Jesus said, “Who made me a judge or a divider over you? Beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which he possesses” (Luke 12:13-15).
God’s solution for conflict is to literally go right to the heart of the problem, and change it by the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit in what is called a new birth, giving people a new heart with new motives, new trust in the Lord’s provision, and new contentment with what He provides. He says, “And you shall be clean from all your filthiness and your idols... a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you... and I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes...” (Ezekiel 36:25,26).
Whether on the freeways, or in the jungles, sandbox or Sahara, war will never cease unless hearts are changed.
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