Friday, October 10, 2014

Wrong question again

The dominating idea here is that following Jesus matters above everything else. My own posture is one of pacifism, and here is the logic that I find compelling:
I cannot kill a non-Christian, for whom Christ has died and to whom I am called to preach the gospel, for the state; that would be rendering to Caesar what is God’s and deconstruct the kingdom mission.
I cannot kill a fellow Christian for the state; that would be rendering to Caesar what is God’s. My first allegiance is to the King and to his kingdom people.
I am called to cooperate with the state to the degree it is consistent with the kingdom; I cannot in good conscience cooperate with the state when it is inconsistent with the kingdom; that would be to render to Caesar what is God’s.
I cannot ask in the first instance if this is practicable. I am to ask in the first instance what it means to follow Jesus.
Sermon on the Mount, page 132

<idle musing>
Amen! Good preaching! Those are my sentiments as well. The question isn't is it easy. The question is are you willing...and usually, if we're honest with ourselves, we aren't. All the excuses on why it's not practical flow from that...
</idle musing>

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