Isaiah 35:4
Thus says the LORD:
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God,
he comes with vindication;
with divine recompense
he comes to save you.
I don’t know how it came to be that so many view Jesus the Christ as an effeminate wimp.
Is it because He allowed Himself to be tortured and crucified, without fighting back?
But do they not know that Jesus’ suffering and death were redemptive and restitutory?
The dictionary defines “restitution” as reparation made by giving an equivalent as compensation for loss, damage, or injury caused.
Every wrong must be rectified. But our first parents’ Fall was so cataclysmic that not only was human nature itself perverted so that all of Adam and Eve’s progeny would be born with the stain of Original Sin with an inclination to evil (fomes peccati: tinder for sin), no man could restitute for that first sin. Only God Himself, in the person of the Son, could make amends — by incarnating in flesh, to be tortured, suffer and die on a cross.
As Jesus explained in Luke 22:22: “for the Son of Man indeed goes as it has been determined.”
Jesus couldn’t be further from being an effeminate wimp.
A physical laborer — carpenter — by trade, Jesus must have been brawny and strong. He would have to be strong to withstand being whipped until the flesh on His back was stripped, have 1″-2″ long thorns pierced into his head (try piercing your scalp with just a pin), carry a cross weighing 75-125 lbs, then be nailed to a cross by 5″-7″ long iron spikes. (See “Good Friday: Remembering His Passion and Sacrificial Love”)
Nor does Jesus expect us to be wimps.
He instructed us in Luke 22:36: “if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.”
He didn’t mean a spiritual sword. By “sword,” He meant it literally.
Furthermore, why would He tell us to acquire a sword if He doesn’t expect and want us to use it in self defense?
The equivalent of a sword today is a gun. Molon labe!
So as Isaiah 35:4 commands us:
Be strong, fear not!
And may the peace and love of Jesus Christ our Lord be with you,
~E
It’s not easy for some of us to be strong, but we must remind ourselves of the alternatives. When we’re oppressed and we cower in fear, what can we expect will happen? Our oppressor will continue, and likely the oppression will escalate until we have no security, we lose our rights, possibly even lose our lives. That’s no way to live our lives. If I’m to be oppressed, I’ll choose to be strong and do my best to put an end to that oppression, in whatever means is necessary. Part of being strong must be to be wise, so if an oppression can be ended or resolved via discussion, a deal or calling The Law in, that’s the best option. If that doesn’t work, there may be no option but to take a more extreme approach, but don’t go straight for the sword. As a “civilized” society, we must always try to mediate our disagreements and leave our swords as a last option, But make no mistake, we must all keep and not let the Sword Grabbers EVER take our swords..
Well said!
Thank you doctor, God bless you this week. I’ll pray for you. I always appreciate your little lessons and encouragement.
Thank you for your kind words, Reuben. <3
Thank you Dr.E for this magnificent post! Jesus also said that “he would vomit the lukewarm out of his mouth.” No time for wimps – He expects us to stand up and be counted.”