Jesus and Violence

Sadly, some of the most common forms of Christianity have been linked with violence throughout history. Between crusades, burning of heretics, and nationalistic wars that played on people’s religious sensibilities, far too much violence has been done in the name of Christ.

But did Jesus even permit violence? Might violent Christians actually be disobeying the founder of Christianity? That’s what the Anabaptists and other nonviolent groups have said for centuries.

What Did Jesus Say About Violence?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus overturned several practices that were considered okay in the Old Testament. One of them was the legality of violence. Jesus says,

“You have heard that it was said [in the Old Testament], ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

(Matthew 5:38-45 WEB)

If we read this passage straightforwardly, it’s pretty clear. Instead of replying with violence whenever someone is violent to us, Christians “don’t resist” the evil person. This is where Anabaptists got the name of the doctrine we call nonresistance.

Did Jesus Really Mean That?

A lot of people are convinced that this passage doesn’t forbid us from doing violence. You can find all sorts of ingenious explanations of it. However, usually those explanations fall apart when you think about the following:

• Remember that this is in context of overturning an Old Testament law. So whatever that law says, Jesus means the opposite. That law allowed violence, so that means that Jesus wasn’t allowing violence.
• If someone picks one verse and tries to make it sound like it doesn’t mean like it sounds, just read the verses before and after that verse. Some have claimed that “turning the other cheek” is actually an aggressive move. But just read the statements before and after that, and see whether Jesus seems to think that aggression is okay.
• Sometimes people point out that Jesus didn’t precisely say, “Don’t do violence in any circumstance.” They might say that it’s possible to love your enemies while killing them. However, just take a step back and ask yourself, “Does ‘love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you’ sound like it’s compatible with killing those same people?”

Sometimes a bit of common sense can clear up a lot of misunderstandings.

Jesus’ Nonviolence

Nonresistance is a form of nonviolence that’s even more specific. It’s not just about refraining from killing people; it’s a way of life.

Jesus’ form of nonviolence is to actively love our enemies. We should actually give to the people who want to steal from us. When people force us to give them time, money, or possessions, we should actually give them more than they expect.

If someone curses us, we should respond by saying good things about them. We should do good things for the people who hate us. And we should remember our enemies in our prayers.

Even people who claim to be nonresistant, like the Anabaptists, often fail at this. It’s hard to do, but when people actually act this way, it’s beautiful. Many friendships have been formed or restored when one person followed Jesus’ way and was nonresistant. It is totally possible to live as Jesus taught, because when we do our best to follow Christ, God also does his best to help us overcome our own anger or pride.

I invite you to join me and many others as we strive, however imperfectly, to live out the life that Jesus taught.