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hnumpah:
Matthew 10:34-37

Do not think that I came to send peace upon earth: I came not to send peace, but the sword. For I came to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And as a man?s enemies shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me. ? Jesus

_JS:
Matthew 10:35 parallels Matthew 10:21 above it, which are in Christ's instructions to his disciples (including Judas). Both are merely citations of Micah 7:6.


--- Quote ---Matthew 10:35 For I have come to set a man 'against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
--- End quote ---


--- Quote ---Matthew 10:21 Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.
--- End quote ---


--- Quote ---Micah 7:6-7 For the son dishonors his father, the daughter rises up against her mother, The daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and a man's enemies are those of his household. But as for me, I will look to the LORD, I will put my trust in God my savior; my God will hear me!
--- End quote ---

The important thing here is the timing, in my opinion. Remember that this is before Christ's death and Resurrection. This is before He establishes His Church. He certainly did not bring peace, both in terms of Israel in general and in terms of our Christian hearts.

Christ's call is very radical, but not in the way some might imply from this verse (i.e. sword).

hnumpah:
I'm not so sure. He did, at times, seem to espouse violence.

Matthew 15:4:  Honour thy father and mother: And: He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death. - Jesus ('the death' here apparently being death by stoning, from Deuteronomy 21:18-21:  If a man have a stubborn and unruly son, who will not hear the commandments of his father or mother, and being corrected, slighteth obedience. They shall take him and bring him to the ancients of his city, and to the gate of judgment, and shall say to them: This our son is rebellious and stubborn, he slighteth hearing our admonitions, he giveth himself to revelling, and to debauchery and banquetings: The people of the city shall stone him: and he shall die, that you may take away the evil out of the midst of you, and all Israel hearing it may be afraid.)

Luke 19:26-27:  But I say to you, that to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: and from him that hath not, even that which he hath, shall be taken from him. But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me. - Jesus

_JS:

--- Quote from: hnumpah on September 12, 2007, 07:32:51 PM ---I'm not so sure. He did, at times, seem to espouse violence.
--- End quote ---

There are those Christians that believe that. Most often they quote the scripture about Christ's encounter with the moneychangers outside the temple.

Interestingly, Adolf Hitler was one of the people who used that very argument. Though, that in and of itself does not make it false.

I disagree. What part of loving one's enemies and persecutors involves reacting to them with violence? Moreover, in the Beatitudes Christ blesses the meek and the peacemakers. Not once does he bless the generals or the warriors.

Taken further, Father Raniero Cantalamessa discusses Christianity in these terms: "Christianity exalts the sacrifice of the strong in the favor of the weak." Whereas it is in the philosophy of those such as Nietzsche (or Ayn Rand) that you find the modern day reverse where the weak are sacrificed for the strong.

Certainly Christians have not always acted in that way, but no, I don't find that the spirit of the Gospel calls for violence - in fact, I think it calls for the exact opposite.

A good example is in Luke 9:51-56


--- Quote ---51 When the days for his being taken up were fulfilled, he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,
52 and he sent messengers ahead of him. On the way they entered a Samaritan village to prepare for his reception there,
53 but they would not welcome him because the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.
54 When the disciples James and John saw this they asked, "Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to consume them?"
55 Jesus turned and rebuked them,
56 and they journeyed to another village.
--- End quote ---

Now here Christ could have certainly made an example of this Samaritan village. James and John were ready to do what in modern terms would be called "shock & awe" and all the "collateral damage" that comes with that. Yet, Christ not only tells them no, but also rebukes them (too bad Luke didn't know what He said).

So no. I definitely do not find violence as a Christian solution at all.

hnumpah:
If I remember correctly (it has been a long time since I've read it), isn't there a passage in the apocryphal book of St. Thomas (he of 'doubting Thomas' fame) where the young Jesus causes the death of another child who was taunting him?

Probably why this book ended up in the apocrypha - don't want anything in the bible that might make Jesus look petty or spiteful.

Still, the passages I cited in Matthew and Luke did make the final cut:

He that shall curse father or mother, let him die the death.

But as for those my enemies, who would not have me reign over them, bring them hither, and kill them before me.

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