Non-Resistance
Posted: Thu Jun 17, 2021 7:38 pm
Jesus taught his disciples not to resist evil people. This is quite contrary to human nature. We love to give wicked people some of their own "medicine"! But if we are truly Jesus' disciples, we will do nothing contrary to what Jesus taught his first disciples. He said:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:38-45 NKJV)
Not many practise these things. Do you?
But there are groups of Christians who do in our very day: Mennonites, Hutterites, Moravians, Waldenses and Quakers.
In the early days of Christianity, the Albigenses, the Bogomils, and the Paulicians, also did.
I want to share with you a true example in our day of non-resistance and the results.
At one point in my life, I taught school in a Hutterite community. Sam, one of the Hutterite men, was driving a tractor to a certain location, but it broke down near a house. So Sam needed to phone the colony to get help. He knocked on the door, and the woman of the house answered. Sam asked if he could use their telephone to phone for help. "I guess so," she replied. Sam removed his muddy boots and left the just outside the door. Then he entered the house in his sock feet, and made the phone call.
Now it just so happened that the man of the house hated Hutterites. Sam had just finished his phone call, when the man himself entered.
"What the hell are you doing here, you ###@@@! Hutterite!" the man shouted.
Sam explained, and the man yelled, "You get the hell out of here, you @#@#@#"
So Sam went out, and was about to reach for his boots, but the man grabbed them first and threw them into a mud puddle.
Thus Sam had to walk into the puddle in his sock feet to retrieve his boots.
"Say!" said Sam to the man. Why don't you come and visit us! We'll show you a good time! Come next Sunday and have dinner with us!
"Oh, get out of here." But the man didn't say it quite as angrily as he had spoken previously.
Well, guess who appeared at the colony for dinner on the following Sunday! Yes, the man came, and he was treated like a king!
He was short of potatoes that year, and the Hutterites sent several bags home with him.
After that, the man became one of their best friends.
This is just one example of what can happen when the teaching of Jesus are taken seriously.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.
If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.
And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.
Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:38-45 NKJV)
Not many practise these things. Do you?
But there are groups of Christians who do in our very day: Mennonites, Hutterites, Moravians, Waldenses and Quakers.
In the early days of Christianity, the Albigenses, the Bogomils, and the Paulicians, also did.
I want to share with you a true example in our day of non-resistance and the results.
At one point in my life, I taught school in a Hutterite community. Sam, one of the Hutterite men, was driving a tractor to a certain location, but it broke down near a house. So Sam needed to phone the colony to get help. He knocked on the door, and the woman of the house answered. Sam asked if he could use their telephone to phone for help. "I guess so," she replied. Sam removed his muddy boots and left the just outside the door. Then he entered the house in his sock feet, and made the phone call.
Now it just so happened that the man of the house hated Hutterites. Sam had just finished his phone call, when the man himself entered.
"What the hell are you doing here, you ###@@@! Hutterite!" the man shouted.
Sam explained, and the man yelled, "You get the hell out of here, you @#@#@#"
So Sam went out, and was about to reach for his boots, but the man grabbed them first and threw them into a mud puddle.
Thus Sam had to walk into the puddle in his sock feet to retrieve his boots.
"Say!" said Sam to the man. Why don't you come and visit us! We'll show you a good time! Come next Sunday and have dinner with us!
"Oh, get out of here." But the man didn't say it quite as angrily as he had spoken previously.
Well, guess who appeared at the colony for dinner on the following Sunday! Yes, the man came, and he was treated like a king!
He was short of potatoes that year, and the Hutterites sent several bags home with him.
After that, the man became one of their best friends.
This is just one example of what can happen when the teaching of Jesus are taken seriously.
And most of what was on the list was forgotten.