In Luke chapter 3, John the Baptist has a very interesting encounter. After giving his message of repentance, what the scripture calls the gospel, people came to him and asked him, what shall we do? Two specific groups wanted his counsel, tax collectors and soldiers.
It is very interesting to me what he tells them to do. For tax collectors? “Collect no more than what is appointed to you.” For the soldiers? “Don’t extort money or accuse falsely, and be satisfied with your wages.”
Tax collectors and soldiers worked for the government. Tax collectors were notorious for cheating people, collecting more than they were supposed to for personal gain. Soldiers were notorious for instilling fear and taking advantage of people with their position, too.
Notice John, who had no reason or motivation to be politically correct, did not even suggest that tax collectors stop working for and supporting an oppressive regime or that soldiers should quit their jobs or not kill anyone in their line of duty. In other words, John did not question their job choices, only how they carried out those jobs.
Here we have soldiers travelling to the wilderness to seek God through a man who preached repentance of sins and a return to righteousness. John was preparing the way for the Lord Himself, the Messiah promised to all.
Let’s reflect upon how Jesus treated those in the military. Remember the centurion who had a dying servant? Jesus’ commentary on him? “I have not found faith like this in all of Israel.” Roman centurions were notorious for raping and pillaging, mind you. Who knows how this particular one behaved, but his faith impressed God. Of course, we can’t forget the soldiers killing the only truly innocent man in all of creation, Jesus. Jesus looked down at them and forgave them in their ignorance. He didn’t rebuke their occupation. He forgave them because they were just doing their job, unknowingly killing the Son of God, and He did not want them judged for that.
Paul also uses a soldier as an analogy for the Christian life. If being a soldier was such a horrible job, why would Paul so quickly use it as an example of how a believer should live? He also used a farmer and a runner.
Remember, the soldiers of that time served pagan governments that were extremely power hungry and historically violent. This wasn’t fighting for the establishment of Israel under the Old Covenant. This was fighting on behalf of worldly governments with worldly ambitions.
I believe that there is a grace upon soldiers and policemen who must use violent means at times to protect and serve worldly governments. Perhaps they are even ordered to do it. That is part of their job, and the scripture views it as an honorable occupation when done righteously.
Answer this question. Do you lock your doors when you leave your house? Do you lock the doors of your car when you park somewhere? Most of us do. Why? Because we hope to deter others from stealing our stuff. It is partly good stewardship. We also lock doors to protect our families from people who would wish to do them harm.
Soldiers and policemen and other enforcement personnel are deterrents in order to protect citizens, to fight for worldly protection. They have a mandate from God to do so. We should respect and honor them for such. They are extensions of the authority God has given to governments that He has established to punish evil and reward the good.
Have you ever checked your speed when passing a cop on a road? Of course you have. His very presence helped to ensure your obedience to the law because of the consequences he is authorized to levy.
In this world, sometimes wars occur. Worldly governments have the sovereign right to participate in them. While any good government fulfilling its biblical mandate desires peace above all else, sometimes war is the means to peace. Compromising certain aspects of a government’s responsibility (such as justice and self-protection) is not peace. In this world, without consequences, evil will flourish.
So we’ve detailed the biblical mandate for worldly governments, but how are Christians supposed to interact with all this? To begin with, Christians should really understand the different roles of worldly governments and the Church. Once this understanding is established, Christians can be soldiers and policemen or other agents of the government. Even public school teachers! But they are also to be a witness of Christ within those jobs, realizing their identity is not within the job they hold during the day but the Spirit within them that is eternal.
Just because they have a God-given authority, it does not mean that these governments do not abuse their authority. Of course they do. Standing for what is right within those abusive situations can cost you, but the reward is worth it. God is with you if the motivation is truth and you are willing to fight at your own personal cost.
This may feel like a conclusion, but it’s not. One more important principle to go.
Peace.
well i’ll take the bait and jump in.
i think you make an excellent point with the whole deterrent and the authority to levy consequences. but sadly that authority usually doesn’t come from rational discourse. or spiritual enlightenment for that matter. it’s usually authority backed up by force. if there were no force behind the authority . . . then there would be no authority. this is usually what authority devolves into . . . force. not rational discourse or spirit guided actions.
brute force wins. those with the most guns have the authority (moral?). and those who win the battle of the guns get to write history. which is another story altogether.
i’m not saying i’m totally against war. but war as a means to peace just doesn’t seem right.
i’m not sure of an example where war has led to longstanding, sustainable peace. in every instance, war has left anarchy, pain, brokenness, widows, regions of oppression . . .
there is the off chance that peace might come to the region. but it’s only temporary. because those who have come to power and established their “peace” by way of war . . . will inevitably one day be faced by a new group who followed their example and will rise to power on the backs of war. thats why most people refer to war as a cycle.
and the only way a cycle of violence/war can ever truly be broken is by laying down one’s life not just for a friend, but for an enemy. only by turning the other cheek is one able to expose war for what it is and open up the potential for the cycle to be broken.
without that . . . war is but an inevitable cycle of two enemies trading blows with each other.
no greater love has man known than when one lays down their lives for their enemies.
Glad you jumped in Josh. I appreciate the comments.
I don’t mean that wars will establish a perpetual peace. Jesus made it clear that there will be wars and rumors of wars right until His return. Because we live in a fallen world, wars between worldly nations will occur. I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear.
Of course any peace is temporary. That is an excellent truth. The only permanent peace will be found under the government of Christ in the new heaven and earth. It is unattainable here. The “cycle” as you describe it will perpetuate until the return of Christ.
Again, we have to be careful ascribing spiritual principles to a worldly government that has a much different role that is temporary in nature and practice. You are speaking of a utopian experience that cannot be attained in this world. the Bible is clear about this.
It is not the job of a worldly government to lay down their life. They are being irresponsible with the God-given mandate if they do.
Let me give you an example. The scripture says for all believers to submit to one another. I have a young son. My role in his life is to discipline him and teach him right from wrong. The Bible is clear about this. If I don’t discipline him (scourge him, beat him, as one translation says), then I hate him.
On an eternal level, I am not his father, but I have been given a role of discipline, teaching, and correction in his life while in this world. It is temporary but still divinely given. If I take the idea of submission (which is eternal) and then do what my two year old wants, that is not love. It is hate.
It is important to understand rolese and what we are called to do within certain situations.
The laying down of life is the Church’s job, which I will discuss in more detail in today’s post.
peace.