Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts to end the week.

Jesus was not a warrior riding upon a horse with a sword and shield; but came on the colt of the most humble of animals. 

His birth announced a novel way of ,not only, living -- behaving; but a completely radical way of thinking.  Thinking about world view.  Thinking about what God is truly like.

The overriding message was one of peace and goodwill.

The hope was for a peace loving people who resisted any display of warring power, and bullying behavior. 

So then I have to wonder.  What is wrong with the picture, the world perceives, of our national mentality today?  Indeed, the world mentality.

It brings to mind Luther’s theology of The Two Kingdoms;  Which by the way has been the subject of much controversy over the years. 

You are welcome to go to  the ELCA sight to read the entire argument.  This is just a smidgen of the entire hypothesis.

“Luther here states that the children of Adam fall into two groups, those who belong to the kingdom of God and those who belong to the kingdom of the world. To the kingdom of God belong all who believe in Christ and live under Him, for Christ is King and Lord in the kingdom of God. Of them Luther says: "Behold, these need neither sword nor law. And if all the world were made up of true Christians, there would be no need for ruler, king, lord, sword or law, for where would be the use of them? The Holy Ghost which abideth in their hearts teacheth them and bringeth it to pass that they do no wrong, but love all men. . . . And it may not be that the sword of the world and the law of the world should find labour to do among Christians.”   

But beside His spiritual kingdom God has established another, the kingdom of temporal authority. This exists because evil exists. God has set the evil world under the sword that it may be restrained, as men put bonds and shackles on a wild beast, and has instituted authorities to check violence and injustice, and to maintain peace and order. Thus sin is the reason for the setting-up of earthly government. Luther expresses the idea by saying it was set up "against the devil." (Anders Nygren 08/01/2002)

The language is quite dated. So just over look it; and take a moment to reflect on Luther’s definition of a follower of Jesus.

"Behold, these need neither sword nor law. And if all the world were made up of true Christians, there would be no need for ruler, king, lord, sword or law, for where would be the use of them? ……… they do no wrong, but love all men. . . .”

Oh how I wish that were so.

Luther was a fan of the Apostle Paul’s writings; so I can’t help but think that this passage from Colossians had a great deal to do with Luther's thinking.

²Set your minds on things that are above,….5Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: 

….clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.(Col. 3)

We certainly do live in a world of the great divide between those who want to follow the way of Jesus.  And those who don’t value such thinking.

It is just the truth.