Meekness, Jesus, and the Martial Arts.

The book of John:

10 Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant's name was Malchus.) 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?”

There are many Christians who are opposed to war and violence. If I may be so blunt-- this is heresy. We are in Christ, but how do we get by rejecting His attributes as Sword-bearing King and just judge? Is Jesus not fully God? Even the Warrior God of the Old Testament and Revelation? Of course He is. How does a warrior walk in love? By judging justly the enemy which refuses grace and will not relent his attacks.

Jesus is King. He will return with a sword and cast His enemies into Hell. Pacifistic Christianity is a response to social pressure for the church to catch up to the so-called enlightened modern age. Several passages of the new testament are used to justify them, yet none of those passages are used in a way which reflects the character and nature of our God. Here are 2 common objections:

1) Didnt Jesus say to turn the other cheek (matthew 5:39)?

Yes. He did. He was also referencing Hamurabi's code, and God's civic law in dueteronomy 19:20-21. The slap he is referring to here is a type of insult which in latter years became an invitation to dual in the middle ages. This is not referring to physocal self-defense, but rather a conflict in which only your pride is on the line. Turn the other cheek, dont escalate the violence. My question to this argument is 'how is physical self defense needed against a mere slap?' Answer: it isn't. Christians do not fight for pride; but that doesn't mean we shouldnt fight at all.

2) Doesnt meek mean weak?

Was Jesus meek? Yes. Was Jesus weak? No. It took more strength than any mere man could posess to take the beating He did and not call down legions of angels as He could. Meekness, in this sense, merely means 'submitting one's power to God'. It is easy to abuse power. It is much more difficult to 'die to ourselves and take up our cross' when we have the power to not do so. Think, for a moment, about a horse in a chariot. That horse is a powerful creature capable of killing most animals. Yet to bridle a horse is a process called 'meeking'. The horses power is submitted to its rider. So should we submit our power to the Holy Spirit.

This meekness is what Jesus was referring to when He admonishes Peter in the quoted scripture above. Are we to live by the sword? Or by the Lord's will?

Romans 12 describes what it means to be a Christian and a peacemaker. Yet Paul does not say to live in peace at all costs. He says in verse 18 "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all". Therefore, this is a foundational verse for any Christian Martial Arts curriculum. The novice's first goal should be to learn the line of when they have done all they can do without resorting to violence.

In other words, to submit the power of their martial art to the Holy Spirit as it presses on their conscience.