Putting an End to Death

Gospel: John 15: 26 - 16: 4

Throughout the Gospels and in today's portion Jesus tells his disciples that persecution is to be their lot in life.  What is more, the Christian should rejoice in this persecution and embrace it as a sign of authentic witness to the Gospel.  All of this is counterintuitive, as it is our instinct to defend ourselves by any means necessary.  Such was the response of Israel time and again in the Old Testament.

But in rebuking the disciples who wanted to bring down fire on a Samaritan town, in telling the disciples to put away their swords, and in accepting the injustice of his trial and execution, Jesus lives what he preaches.  In telling his disciples that as he has done, so also we must do, his example is our commandment and way of life.  We are to set aside all recourse to violence, to claims of self-defense, to embracing the instruments of death for our own security in this life.

It is an odd phenomenon to watch modern Christians complain about persecution when the Master bid us to rejoice in it.  It is disturbing to watch modern Christians embrace the death penalty for others while objecting to its use against Christians.  It is even more disturbing to see the defense of horrid instruments of warfare used indiscriminately against peoples - all of which Jesus rebuked and rejected by his words and deeds.  Is it any wonder people find the Christian message unappealing in these days?