The Mistakes of Jesus Part 6

Jesus has been called the Prince of Peace, but the weight of his testimony is not on the side of absolute pacifism. With his view of rendering unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, it is possible that he would have advised young men to obey the state and enlist, or accept the draft, whenever their country called.

On November 12, 1931, Rev. Dr. T. Andrew Caraker said at a banquet of the American Legion in Baltimore that if Jesus Christ had lived in 1917 He would have been the first to volunteer in the American army, the first to wear a gas mask, shoulder a rifle and enter the trenches.

Other ministers derive from the same gospels the belief that Jesus would not have stabbed Germans with a bayonet. Nor would Jesus have advised others to fight if he had been unwilling to fight himself.

Most of the sayings of Jesus regarding violence or non-resistance were intended to apply chiefly to personal relations.h.i.+ps; he said little of international strife. What he did say showed placid acceptance of the war system:

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pa.s.s, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."[19]

"And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."[20]

"But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pa.s.s; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom."[21]

These verses have a more direct bearing on war as we now know it than any of his other sayings. They show his belief in the inevitability of war. Apparently he did not feel himself competent to counteract general ma.s.s militarism. He offered no program for arbitration of international disputes, no subst.i.tute for war between nations, no policy of war resistance.

When Jesus advised non-resistance, saying to his follower, "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword,"[22] he was merely stating the danger of using violence, not the immorality of employing force. In fact, he commanded his disciples to take the very sword which he later told them to sheathe: "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one ... And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough."[23]

Thus Jesus, the supposed non-resistant, prepared his followers with swords. These swords were for defense, and when the time came he repudiated even that use of the weapons, but, nevertheless, he armed his disciples instead of adhering to his principle of non-resistance. He did not set a positive example of disarmament.

Jesus said: "Blessed are the peacemakers ... love your enemies ... Have peace one with another ... On earth peace, good will toward men ...

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you ... These things have I spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace ... Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

Other remarks of Jesus favored violence: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword."[24]

"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division."[25] "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me."[26] "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews."[27] "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils."[28] "And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple."[29]

In determining whether or not Jesus was a promoter of peace it is only reasonable to review everything that he said or did relating to the use of violence, giving equal weight to every verse. We cannot accept one statement and reject the others. The conclusion reached must be that Jesus was inconsistent in advocating both non-resistance and the use of force. He took diametrically opposed positions, the use of swords and scourges and non-resistance being mutually exclusive. Jesus preached non-resistance and at the same time armed his retainers with two swords.

He advocated turning the other cheek but did not criticize war.

Therefore, pacifists and militarists, with their opposite philosophies, should both admit that at times Jesus was mistaken.

_Marriage_

Jesus occasionally eulogized marriage: "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh ... What therefore G.o.d hath joined together, let not man put asunder."[30]

_Celibacy_

On other occasions he made remarks which indicated his preference for celibacy as the higher state, the one he adopted for himself. "In the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of G.o.d in heaven."[31] "The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage."[32] "I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to l.u.s.t after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."[33] "There are some eunuchs which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."[34] "There is no man that hath left ... wife, or children for the kingdom of G.o.d's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."[35]

Jesus referred to the absence of marriage in heaven, the ideal realm.

Paul's testimony adds to the evidence that Jesus considered celibacy preferable to any form of s.e.x expression, even marriage.

_Adultery_

On the other hand, Jesus was tolerant of s.e.x offenses. He chatted in a friendly manner with the woman of Samaria, saying: "Thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband."[36] And about the woman taken in adultery he said: "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her ... Neither do I condemn thee: go and sin no more."[37] "The harlots go into the kingdom of G.o.d before you."[38]

_Divorce_

Jesus sanctioned divorce. His followers are so annoyed at this fact that they frequently quote the verse on the subject with the offensive clause omitted. The text reads: "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."[39] Again in Matthew xix, 9, he makes the same exception. It is evident, therefore, that Jesus permitted divorce for one cause. If the wife was unfaithful the husband could divorce her, but otherwise no matter how unhappy the couple might be, they must remain married.

The admirable leniency of Jesus toward s.e.x offenders, and his permission to divorce, must seem like mistakes to churchmen who consider extramarital s.e.x relations the unforgivable sin. And everyone must see the danger of having our judges adopt as a principle of justice the dismissal of offenders on the ground that the prosecutors have also sinned.

A Christian girl of today would not be encouraged by the most zealous religious parents to marry a man exactly like Jesus.

_Faulty Judgment_

Jesus selected Judas to be the treasurer of the apostles' joint funds, but later admitted his error, saying: "Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil? He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for it was he that should betray him, being one of the twelve."[40]

Jesus erroneously supposed that "salvation is of the Jews."[41] "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."[42] A nationalistic and partial spirit is expressed in these sentences, a spirit that has been followed to the extent that Jesus would not be permitted to enter America if he applied for a visa.

_Unconvincing_

Jesus failed in his mission to save the world. He made the supreme sacrifice in vain. His method of proving his divinity did not convince his hearers: "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him."[43] "For neither did his brethren believe in him."[44] After he had healed many, cast out unclean spirits and appointed his twelve apostles to do likewise, his friends "went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself."[45]

Jesus admitted his impotence as a human being when he said, "I can of mine own self do nothing."[46] Even with the a.s.sistance of his Father he did not accomplish what he set out to do.

_Prohibition_

The miracle of turning water into wine, providing one hundred gallons of wine after the people at the party had "well drunk", must appear to prohibitionists like a mistake on the part of Jesus. Many Methodists and Baptists would have preferred to have him turn the wine into water; yet they will not admit that Jesus made a mistake.

_Lack of Experience_

So far as the gospels relate, Jesus never had any experience with three of the chief difficulties of human life--s.e.x, earning a living and illness. He was therefore less able to explain those relations.h.i.+ps than one who has struggled through in the customary manner of mankind. To take the inexperienced Jesus as our guide in practical living would be like a traveller who was planning a trip over perilous mountains and engaged as a guide a man who had never crossed the mountains.

As Jesus believed that the end of the world was approaching, and as he revealed no information about the future, his teachings should be taken as applying solely to his own time. A divinity living now would preach far differently from the inadequate doctrines of Jesus.

The abandonment of reliance upon a Jesus who has not changed in nineteen hundred years, in favor of an Evolutionary philosophy that requires constant change, leads to a new conception of the world and its possibilities for man. A person who has thought himself out of antiquated theology may be expected to have an open mind towards the betterment of human customs.

Every improvement in human relations.h.i.+ps originates secularly and is adopted by the Church only after a bitter struggle. Faith in Jesus is a reactionary force. The Christian opposes change in the creations of G.o.d; the Evolutionist seeks to alter every unsatisfactory condition. The Evolutionist is more responsive than the orthodox Christian to proposals for promoting the happiness of the human race. Many liberals have abandoned conservatism because they saw the hypocrisy in Christianity.

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Matt. xx, 1-16.

[2] John x, 13.

[3] Luke xvii, 10.

[4] Matt. xxv, 30.