“Soldiers also asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’ And he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.’” – Luke 3:14
We’re currently experiencing a breakdown of our culture. Even those claiming to be Christian are increasingly advocating the exercise of force, the grabbing of power, and the flexing of strength to accomplish whatever they desire. This may be driven by anger, fear, frustration, grievance, or lust for power though it’s usually called something that sounds good like a zeal or justice or love of country. Regardless of who’s doing it, it’s generally justified by pointing to the actions of those with whom they disagree. The argument is that since those people did something wrong, it’s now justified to do something else that’s wrong. This fuels the intensifying breakdown of culture we see today.
That isn’t the way of Jesus! Ever!!! John the Baptist confronted those abusing their strength and told them to stop immediately if they were serious about God. Some abused their power because they enjoyed it. Others did it for profit. John commanded them to live with integrity and use their strength in God-honoring ways. We must ALWAYS do the same if Jesus is truly our Lord. Even when it’s frustrating to us.
The way of Jesus is not the way of force. Not in politics. Not in culture. Not in religion. Our power isn’t based on weapons, cultural dominance, or positions of power. Our power is God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Our power isn’t based on strength. Our power is in weakness. That’s the way of Jesus. #FollowJesus