By Lars Larson – Jan 2, 2020 Does Jesus Christ support self-defense?
Jesus advising the disciples to buy a sword in Luke
22:36: “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t
have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
First, let’s look at a Gospel setting in which Christ
absolutely endorses self-defense. “But know this, that if the master of the
house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not
allowed his house to be broken into (Luke 12:39). ” Isn’t Jesus saying here
that violence – or certainly the threat of violence – is not just the
reasonable, but even the responsible, option to take in protecting one’s
property, never mind one’s person or one’s family?
Then, we have this next quotation from the Gospel of
Mark: “But no one can enter the strong man’s house and plunder his goods unless
he first binds the strong man (3:27).” Now, why would the bad guy have to bind
the strong man? Obviously, because the strong man would otherwise do all he
could to keep the bad guy out! And again, that’s just to protect property.
As if to confirm Mark’s Gospel, we find these additional
words of Christ in the Gospel of Luke: “When the strong man, fully armed,
guards his courtyard, his property is undisturbed (11:21).” In case anyone
still doesn’t get the point, it is not enough simply to defend yourself when
the situation arises; you should be armed and ready to defend even your
property. And this, of course, is what Jesus told his disciples to do shortly
before he was taken prisoner when he told them to make sure they had swords:
arm yourselves and be ready.
“TURN THE OTHER CHEEK” ALWAYS? It is true that Jesus said
to turn the other cheek in Matthew 5:38-42. However, many scholars do not
believe pacifism (or nonresistance) is the essential point of His teaching in
this passage. These scholars do not believe Jesus was teaching to “turn the
other cheek” in virtually all circumstances. Even Christ did not literally turn
the other cheek when smitten by a member of the Sanhedrin (see John 18:22-23).
The backdrop to this teaching is that the Jews considered
it an insult to be hit in the face, much in the same way that we would
interpret someone spitting in our face. Bible scholar R. C. Sproul comments:
“What’s interesting in the expression is that Jesus specifically mentions the
right side of the face [Matthew 5:39]….If I hit you on your right cheek, the
most normal way would be if I did it with the back of my right hand….To the
best of our knowledge of the Hebrew language, that expression is a Jewish idiom
that describes an insult, similar to the way challenges to duels in the days of
King Arthur were made by a backhand slap to the right cheek of your opponent.”
The principle taught in the Sermon on the Mount in
Matthew 5:38-42 would thus seem to be that Christians should not retaliate when
insulted or slandered (see also Romans 12:17-21). Such insults do not threaten
a Christian’s personal safety. The question of rendering insult for insult,
however, is a far cry from defending oneself against a mugger or a rapist.
In terms of following Christ’s example, one must remember
that His personal nonresistance at the cross was intertwined with His unique
calling. He did not evade His arrest because it was God’s will for Him to
fulfill His prophetic role as the redemptive Lamb of God (Matthew 26:52-56).
During His ministry, however, He refused to be arrested because God’s timing
for His death had not yet come (John 8:59). Thus, Christ’s unique nonresistance
during the Passion does not mandate against self-protection.
THE BIBLICAL CASE FOR SELF-DEFENSE. It is noteworthy that
the Bible records many accounts of fighting and warfare. The providence of God
in war is exemplified by His name YHWH Sabaoth (“The LORD of hosts”–Exodus
12:41). God is portrayed as the omnipotent Warrior-Leader of the Israelites.
God, the LORD of hosts, raised up warriors among the Israelites called the
shophetim (savior-deliverers). Samson, Deborah, Gideon, and others were
anointed by the Spirit of God to conduct war. The New Testament commends Old
Testament warriors for their military acts of faith (Hebrews 11:30-40).
Moreover, it is significant that although given the opportunity to do so, none
of the New Testament saints–nor even Jesus–are ever seen informing a military
convert that he needed to resign from his line of work (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke
3:14).
Prior to His crucifixion, Jesus revealed to His disciples
the future hostility they would face and encouraged them to sell their outer
garments in order to buy a sword (Luke 22:36-38; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:26-27).
Here the “sword” (Greek: maxairan) is a dagger or short sword that belonged to
the Jewish traveler’s equipment as protection against robbers and wild animals.
A plain reading of the passage indicates that Jesus approved of self-defense.
Self-defense may actually result in one of the greatest
examples of human love. Christ, Himself said, “Greater love has no one than
this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:14). When protecting
one’s family or neighbor, a Christian is unselfishly risking his or her life
for the sake of others.
Theologians J. P. Moreland and Norman Geisler say that “to permit murder when one could have prevented it is morally wrong. To allow a rape when one could have hindered it is evil. To watch an act of cruelty to children without trying to intervene is morally inexcusable.
In brief, not resisting evil is an evil of omission, and an evil of omission can be just as evil as an evil of commission. Any man who refuses to protect his wife and children against a violent intruder fails them morally.”
