Apples of Gold
Radio Script for November 20, 2008
“What Did Jesus Mean By Do Not Resist An Evil Person?”
Hello, I’m Doug Apple…with Apples of Gold.
Atheists like to point out crazy things in the Bible.
For example, in Matthew 5:39 Jesus said, “Do not resist an evil person.”
Well what would happen if we stopped resisting evil people?
First of all, they would come into your house and take everything. Or they might as well just take your house intact and boot you out. Or better yet, keep you there as a slave.
The King James Version of Matthew 5:39 says “resist not evil.”
How would that play out in society? Do we tell all the police, “Go on home, now. Everything is fine. We are no longer resisting evil.”
Might as well send the Army home, too. Evil people, rejoice. We are done resisting you.
The result would be anarchy. Our towns would quickly become devilish haunts. Terrorists would run free. Other nations would battle to grab up our resources.
Is that what Jesus meant by “Do not resist an evil person”?
Yesterday I met a young woman who was actually held hostage. The hostage-taker was an evil man and he did evil things. Does Jesus want us to let men like that roam free, attacking everyone they feel like attacking?
That’s what it sounds like, if you let that one verse stand alone.
But verses don’t stand alone. They are all part of the Scripture as a whole. We can’t just pick one out here and there. We need to know how they all fit together.
For example, we know that if we stop resisting evil people, the world will plunge into absolute chaos. However, look what it says in First Corinthians 14:33, “…God is not a God of disorder but of peace…”
Romans 13 says that God Himself has established the governing authorities. And one of their main purposes is to “bear the sword,” to be God’s “agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.”
So we keep the Army and we keep the police force. These are God’s chosen instruments for resisting evil people.
Okay, but now we have a problem. We still have Jesus saying, “Do not resist an evil person.”
Well, maybe that’s not for society at large. Maybe that’s just for me in my own dealings with someone.
Okay, does that mean I just let an evil person take advantage of me? Hurt me? Steal from me? And I do nothing about it?
Well let’s see how that balances with what Jesus said in Matthew 18. He said, “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.”
Wow, that’s pretty specific. Jesus lays out exactly how to deal with someone who sins against you. So I guess you don’t just let them get away with it. You actually confront them and work to bring about justice.
Justice is important to God. In Matthew 23, Jesus put the hammer down on the Pharisees for neglecting justice. Through the Old Testament prophets God often spoke of the importance of justice.
And one of the key tenets of justice is that evil is resisted.
If someone does evil, God wants them resisted. He wants his governing authorities to carry out justice. He wants religious authorities to carry out justice. And even on a personal level, when someone wrongs us, He wants justice.
Well that all makes sense. And actually it’s the way we all live for the most part.
But Jesus did say, “Do not resist an evil person.” What on earth did He mean by that?
First of all, we need to know that Jesus was responding to the old saying “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” In other words, if someone socks you in the eye, sock him in the eye.” Jesus is telling us not to respond like that.
Romans 12:17 says, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil.” Verse 19 says, “Do not take revenge…” And verse 21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
First Peter 3:9 says, “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with a blessing…” Verse 11 says we must “seek peace and pursue it.”
So I think in this case Jesus’ goal is peace. An eye for an eye can quickly escalate into full scale war. I think He’s saying, “If someone strikes you, don’t strike him back.”
But judging by the rest of Scripture, He is not saying to let evil people get away with it. God wants peace and order and justice. And to accomplish that we must properly deal with people who do evil deeds.
Comments?
E-mail me: dougapple@wave94.com.
May God bless you today! With Apples of Gold…I’m Doug Apple.
© 2008 The Arrow’s Tip
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(Proverbs 25:11 – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”)
Why “The Arrow’s Tip”? Each morning, after diligently seeking the Lord, I write Apples of Gold. Then before I release it to the public I pray one final prayer, “Lord, send forth your arrows.” I envision Apples of Gold as arrows, tips dipped in the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Rev. 22:1), sailing toward the hearts and minds of men and women around the world.
Doug Apple
General Manager - Wave 94
Christian Radio for Tallahassee
PO Box 4105
Tallahassee, FL 32315
(850) 926-8000
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