Here’s a blog from Jeff Goins that I enjoyed today. This is exactly what I mean by living a “Warrior-Shepherd” ethos. Thanks Jeff! //Dave
I’ve learned something as I’ve been preparing for this upcoming man hike in the White Mountains these past few weeks: the Church needs violent men. Not abusive men or frustrated men. But violent men, nonetheless.
There is this odd verse in Matthew where Jesus says, “The kingdom of God has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” (11:12)
Some of you may have been disturbed by the “war images” evoked by the blog I wrote yesterday. And to be honest, so was I. I thought Jesus was a guy with a goatee in shepherd’s clothing, telling us to turn the other cheek, adopt pacifism, and become vegans. But when I listened to the entire Gospel of Mark the other day while hiking up and down the hills around my apartment complex, I realized something: the kingdom of God does suffer violence.
I was struck by how much Jesus seemed to talk about a new spiritual and political force called “the kingdom” that was coming into the world. I was awed by how the demons always recognized him and responded to his presence, begging him to not torture them. I was puzzled by how he was often trying to keep his presence a secret, as if he wasn’t on a mission to just heal and feed people, but rather to launch a coup against the forces of darkness.
Towards the end of the Gospel, you realize that Jesus’ primary objective on earth wasn’t to do miracles or assemble a Bible study group or any of the other good things that he did. Rather, it was to die. Every time he says, “The kingdom of God is at hand,” he is, essentially, declaring war against the powers of Hell. And the triumphal turning-point is the Cross. Paul explains this in Colossians: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (2:15)
Just as the Lord promised victory to the Hebrews if they would simply enter the Promised Land and fight, he has guaranteed spiritual triumph for us wherever we set our feet, only if violent men will resolve to “take it by force.”
Again, when I say, “The Church needs violent men,” I’m not advocating for just war or the tolerance of men who hit their wives and children (definitely not that). What I am saying is that we need Christians, men in particular, who will recognize the current spiritual struggle. We need more men like Jesus — rugged men who make demons cringe in fear, who aren’t glory-hounds or egotists, and who are not content to be merely “nice guys.”
Frankly, women tend to recognize spiritual realities better than men. They’re better at prayer and spiritual disciplines, often more in tune with what God is saying in a given place at a certain time. They’re more willing to serve and sacrifice for others. For the most part, Christian women aren’t the problem; the men are. The Church needs men who aren’t glued to their TVs and computers, who aren’t neglecting God or their families for sports or academia, but men who realize that they “do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Eph. 6:12)
That’s the kind of man Christianity needs; I called it a “violent man.” What do you call it?