Violence Upon Violence

Today's readings are from Jeremiah 38, 39, 40, 41

The warnings of Jeremiah concerning the impending Babylonian invasion largely went unheeded. He was even thrown in a muddy cistern because he was unwilling to say the "patriotic" thing. Rescued from the cistern by a Cushite (a man from Egypt), he is brought before the King and once again delivers the awful truth - Israel is going to be attacked and destroyed by the Babylonians. Eventually what Jeremiah prophesies starts to happen.

39.1 "In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah's eleventh year, the city wall was broken through."

It took the Babylonians a little over 18 months as they built a siege ramp to the walls and entered through the broken down walls. The violence connected to all of this could have been avoided if they had listened and obeyed the word of the Lord Jeremiah had given.
Once the Babylonians succeed King Zedekiah's sons are killed - more violence. King Zedekiah is taken captive after his eyes are gouged out - more violence. The King who is appointed to take over is Gedaliah. eventually a band of Israeli army who had manage to flee from the Babylonian army come and assassinate Gedaliah - more violence.

The sad fact is - all the way through history - that those who live by the sword die by the sword. Violence begets more violence. Our inner city gangs, Muslim jihadists, wife-beating husbands, and more all get caught in a web of violence, from which there seems to be no escape.

Jesus states it clearly - "bless those who curse you, pray for those who despitefully use you". Active love is that which overcomes violence. Violence will continue until Christ's kingdom is set upon the earth to rule, simply because the enemy of God is "a liar, a thief, a destroyer". We do well to practice active love instead of allowing the enemy to take over our anger with violence - which never will do anything more than lead to more violence.

Peace


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