Sept 11 | When Nations Break: What Jesus Really Taught About Political Violence and Assassination
When Violence Shakes Everything We Know
A nation can shatter in seconds. One act of political violence, one assassination, and suddenly the fabric of society tears apart. Fear spreads like wildfire. Anger demands revenge. Communities that once lived in peace find themselves choosing sides, building walls, and viewing neighbors with suspicion.
If you're wondering why we need to examine political violence through the lens of faith, consider this: Jesus Christ lived through one of history's most politically violent periods. His teachings on violence, enemies, and power weren't theoretical - they were forged in the crucible of real political assassinations, state-sponsored terror, and revolutionary movements. What he said about these realities challenges everything we think we know about responding to political violence.
The Historical Context: Jesus in a Powder Keg
A Childhood Marked by Political Murder
Jesus' life began with political violence. When he was approximately two years old, King Herod ordered what historians call the "Massacre of the Innocents" - the systematic murder of every male child under two in Bethlehem. This wasn't random violence; it was calculated political assassination aimed at eliminating a perceived threat to power.
Mary and Joseph became political refugees overnight, fleeing to Egypt with their toddler. Think about that - the Son of God's first years were shaped by state-sponsored terrorism and forced exile. This wasn't a distant concept for Jesus; political violence was part of his personal story.
Living Under Occupation
By the time Jesus began his ministry at thirty, Judea was a powder keg of political tensions. The Roman occupation had crushed multiple Jewish rebellions with extreme prejudice. Crucifixion - Rome's preferred method of execution for political criminals - lined the roads as a constant reminder of the price of resistance.
Within this environment, various groups competed for influence:
The Zealots advocated violent revolution against Rome
The Sicarii (literally "dagger men") conducted targeted assassinations of Jewish leaders they viewed as Roman collaborators
The Sadducees collaborated with Rome to maintain their religious power
The Pharisees sought to preserve Jewish identity through strict religious observance
The Twelve: A Microcosm of Political Division
Here's what's remarkable: Jesus' inner circle included people from across this political spectrum. Simon the Zealot sat at the same table with Matthew, a tax collector who had worked for the Roman occupation. These men would have naturally been enemies - one committed to violent overthrow of Rome, the other having profited from Roman rule. Yet Jesus brought them together under a radically different vision of kingdom transformation.
The Revolutionary Teaching: Love in the Face of Violence
The Sermon That Changed Everything
In Luke chapter 6, Jesus delivered teachings that would have sounded like madness to his politically charged audience. "Love your enemies," he said. "Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who mistreat you."
These weren't platitudes spoken in a peaceful garden. These words were delivered to people who had seen their loved ones crucified, their temple desecrated, their nation humiliated. Jesus was asking victims of state violence to love their oppressors.
Refusing to Weaponize Tragedy
One of the most telling moments comes in Luke 13. Pilate had slaughtered Galilean worshippers, mixing their blood with their sacrifices - an act of grotesque political violence designed to terrorize. People came to Jesus expecting outrage, expecting him to finally take a political stand against Roman brutality.
His response? "Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, but unless you repent, you too will perish."
This seems callous at first glance, but look deeper. Jesus refused to let tragedy become a weapon. He wouldn't allow these deaths to be politicized into a cause for further violence. He understood that political assassination isn't just about killing individuals - it's about creating cycles of retaliation that destroy entire societies.
The Early Church's Response: A Case Study in Non-Retaliation
Stephen's Assassination
The first Christian martyr, Stephen, was essentially assassinated for political reasons. His teachings threatened the religious power structure that had carefully negotiated its survival under Roman rule. His death was public, violent, and meant to send a message.
The church's response? Acts 8:4 tells us, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." They didn't form militias. They didn't plot revenge. They scattered and spread their message of love and reconciliation even wider.
James and the Power of Prayer
When Herod Agrippa executed James (John's brother) to curry political favor, the church's response was prayer - not for vengeance, but for protection and boldness to continue their mission. They understood that returning violence for violence would only validate the very power structures they were called to transform.
Paul's Strategic Non-Violence
The Apostle Paul, once a perpetrator of religious violence himself, became a master of strategic non-violence. He used his Roman citizenship not to gain military protection but to gain platforms for the gospel. When beaten and imprisoned, he sang hymns. When threatened with death, he appealed to Caesar - not for revenge but for the opportunity to witness in Rome itself.
The Theology Behind the Practice
Violence as a Vortex
Jesus understood what modern conflict resolution experts have only recently discovered: violence creates a vortex that pulls everything into its destructive spiral. Political assassination doesn't just remove a leader; it creates martyrs, fuels extremism, and justifies escalating retaliation.
The only way to break this cycle is for someone to absorb violence without returning it. This is precisely what Jesus did on the cross - the ultimate political assassination, where religious and political powers conspired to eliminate a threat to their authority.
The Cross as Political Statement
The crucifixion was political violence at its most calculated. Jesus was killed not for private religious beliefs but because his kingdom message threatened both Jewish religious authorities and Roman political power. The inscription above his cross - "King of the Jews" - was a political mockery.
Yet from this ultimate act of political violence came the most powerful statement of non-retaliation in history: "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing."
Practical Application: Living This Out Today
When Your Nation Breaks
Modern nations still break under political violence. Assassinations still shake societies. The pressure to choose sides, to dehumanize opponents, to justify retaliation - these remain as strong as ever. So how do we apply Jesus' teachings?
First, allow yourself to grieve. Jesus wept over Jerusalem, knowing the violence that was coming. Grief is not weakness; it's humanity. Don't rush to political positions before you've processed the human cost.
Second, refuse to dehumanize. The moment we make any person or group less than human, we've already joined the cycle of violence. This includes political opponents, different ethnic groups, or even those who commit violence. They remain image-bearers of God.
Third, become people of radical hope. This isn't naive optimism that ignores evil. It's resurrection hope - the belief that love is ultimately stronger than death, that transformation is possible even for enemies.
Practical Steps for Political Tensions
Pray for actual enemies - not abstract concepts but real people you believe are causing harm
Seek to understand before seeking to be understood
Refuse to share or spread content that dehumanizes or incites violence
Support justice through peaceful means - voting, advocacy, peaceful protest
Build bridges across political divides in your community
Focus on local reconciliation rather than national rhetoric
The Challenge for Today's Church
Beyond Partisan Politics
The church today faces the same temptation as Jesus' original audience - to weaponize faith for political ends. Whether from the right or left, the pressure to make Christianity serve political power remains strong.
Jesus' response to political violence challenges all partisan positions. He neither joined the Zealots in violent revolution nor endorsed the Sadducees' collaboration. He created a third way - the kingdom of God that transcends and transforms earthly kingdoms.
The Cost of Discipleship
Following Jesus' teaching on political violence costs everything. It means giving up the satisfaction of revenge. It means appearing weak when strength seems called for. It means loving people who actively work against everything you value.
This is why Jesus said to count the cost before following him. This isn't cheap grace or easy believism. This is radical transformation that challenges every natural human response to political violence.
The Kingdom That Survives Every Empire
History proves Jesus' wisdom. The Roman Empire that crucified him has fallen. The religious establishment that condemned him has been transformed. Yet the kingdom he announced continues to grow.
This kingdom has survived every empire, every persecution, every attempt to destroy it through violence. It survived not through military might or political maneuvering but through people who stubbornly insisted on loving their enemies, even when everything in them wanted to hate.
Political assassination and violence only win if they succeed in making us become the very thing we oppose. When we return hatred for hatred, violence for violence, we've already lost - regardless of who holds political power.
The path Jesus offers is harder but ultimately more powerful. It's the path of absorbing violence without returning it, of loving enemies while working for justice, of maintaining hope in the face of horror.
When your nation breaks - and every nation eventually faces these moments - you have a choice. You can join the ancient cycle of retaliation that has destroyed countless societies. Or you can follow the revolutionary path of Jesus, believing that love is stronger than death, that forgiveness is more powerful than revenge, and that the kingdom of God will outlast every earthly power.
The question isn't whether this is easy. It's not. The question is whether we believe Jesus was right about the nature of power, violence, and transformation. If he was, then loving our enemies isn't just a nice ideal - it's the only way to break the cycles that destroy nations and souls alike.
An Invitation to go Deeper….
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