Quote from Forum Archives on July 10, 2003, 2:17 pm

Posted by: forthright <forthright@...>

Forthright Magazine
www.forthright.net
Going straight to the Cross

----
Discover the best use of your power. Whack! Whack!
----

GUEST ARTICLE

Cutting Ears and Calling Angels
by Mike Benson
www.oakhillcoc.org

Jesus had power (Col. 1:16-17). "Wonder-working"
power (Luke 5:17). He could walk on water, raise
the dead, and instantly heal those afflicted with
horrible, life-long disease. He could cast out
demons, feed thousands with but a few loaves and
fish, and transform water into wine. He could
rebuke the storm and calm the sea. He had power
(Acts 10:38).

And yet -- perhaps His most surprising
manifestation of power was the intentional failure
to employ it (1 Pet. 2:21-23; cf. Isa. 53:7; Mark
14:61). Despite the unlimited miraculous resources
at His disposal -- when faced with Calvary and all
that entailed -- Jesus restrained His own mighty
hand. Has it ever occurred to you that one of the
Lord's most significant displays of power was
expressed in a non-miraculous way?

The chief priests, elders, and scribes (religious
leaders!) levied a sordid array of attacks against
Jesus. They brought false testimony against Him
(Mark 14:55-58). They accused Him of blasphemy
(Mark 14:64). They spat upon Him, they blindfolded
Him, and they struck Him (Mark 14:65). Pilate had
Him scourged (Mark 15:15). His own friends
betrayed Him and denied Him (Mark 14:10-11, 66ff).
Finally, He was thrust upon a cruel cross and
forced to endure humiliation and torture (Mark
15:22ff; cf. Heb. 12:2).

Jesus could have prevented it all. Peter tried to
(Mark 14:47); in fact, he had vowed to (Matt.
26:31-35; Mark 14:31). When the enemies attempted
to take the Lord away, Peter struck the servant of
the high priest and cut off his ear. In another
one of his brash initiatives, this future leader,
apostle, and preacher of the first-century church
tried to start a fight. Peter wanted the mob to
know that He was ready to come to blows, if
necessary, and he drew blood in order to prove his
point.

But Jesus didn't need Peter's sword; He was the
Son of God. He not only had power, He had all
power at his disposal. He could have called
angels. Mighty, super-human (Ps. 103:20; cf.
Matt. 28:2-4; 2 Thess. 1:7) legions. A legion was
anywhere from 3,000-6,000 thousand strong. We
sometimes sing, "He could have called ten-thousand
angels." More accurately, He could have called
between 36,000 and 72,000 angels PLUS (cf. Rev.
5:11; Dan. 7:10)! So why would He need Peter's
puny blade? The host of heaven could have been
beckoned with but a word, and Jesus could have
retaliated.

Let's be honest, most of us have more in common
with Peter than with the Lord. Right? When our
mates hurt us with words, we want to show our
superiority and exhibit our prowess -- "Where's my
sword?! Hey angels, come on down!" When our
enemies try to hurt us, our inclination is to
emulate Peter rather than Christ. We want to
unsheathe our weapon and fight back; we want to
call in our reinforcements and engage in battle.

But the Lord urges us not to use force (Rom.
12:19). You see, we, like Jesus (Matt. 26:54),
have a mission (Matt. 5:43ff; 1 Pet. 2:20), a
mission to reconcile others to God (2 Cor. 5:20).
So how can we bend our will to the Father's and
subdue our desire to use force, intimidation or
power? Consider:

1. Remember that those who live by fighting
eventually die in battle themselves. "All who take
the sword will perish by the sword" (Matt. 26:52).
I know couples who are capable swordsmen. They are
skilled in verbal engagement. They know how to cut
to the core with their sharp tongues (Prov.
12:18a). They mutilate their mates by hacking them
to pieces with their words. (Peter would be
proud!) By their malicious and caustic jabs, they
bleed the life out of their relationships. As a
result, their marriages are "killed," and divorce
ensues. Husbands, wives, "swinging your sword"
(Matt. 26:51) doesn't produce peace; it only
escalates hostilities (Prov. 15:1). Be a lover (1
Cor. 13:4-8a; Eph. 5:25; Titus 2:4), not a fighter
(Prov. 17:14; 20:3; 1 Tim. 3:3). Be a peacemaker
(Jas. 3:14-18; cf. Matt. 5:9), not a war-monger
(Jas. 4:1; cf. Ps. 68:30b).

2. Remember that employing force nullifies your
mission. "How then could the Scriptures be
fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" (Matt.
26:54). Had Peter been permitted to fight off the
Roman mob, had Jesus summoned His legions (Matt.
26:53) and prevented His own capture, Calvary
might never have occurred, and you and I would
still be in our sins. Peter could have cut, and
Jesus could have called, but either alternative
would have aborted the Father's will for mankind
(Matt. 26:54). Brethren, when we employ
retaliatory force against others, we effectively
severe any opportunity to win/reconcile them to
Christ (cf. 1 Pet. 3:1; 1 Pet. 4:19). We have a
mission to win souls (Prov. 11:30b; Matt. 28:19-
20; Rom. 12:17-21), not personal battles (1 Pet.
2:20ff).

3. Remember that the greatest exercise of power is
often the decision not to employ it. Jesus didn't
dial 1-800-4ANGELS; instead He turned over His
Shepherd's rod and became a sheep Himself (Isa.
53:7). Real power backs away from a fight. Real
power shows restraint and exercises self-control.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23; cf. 2
Pet. 1:5-9).

---
You can help us get the word out. Here's how:
forthright.antville.org/stories/340415/

---- Please read below

Interested in receiving a brief, thought-provoking
devotional article once a week? Then subscribe to
mercEmail (pronounced: "mercy mail"), a weekly
devotional from Steve Higginbotham, minister for
the South Green Street Church of Christ in
Glasgow, KY.

To subscribe send a blank email to either of the
following addresses:
[email protected] (HTML Version)
[email protected]
(Plain Text Version)

Archives can be viewed at
www.glasgow-coc.org/mercEmail.htm

---- End ad