01/13 - A Martial Arts Response to Evil

Matthew 5:38-48

“Is he crazy!?” was probably the main thought in the minds of Jesus’ listeners that day. Surely some of them thought, “Well, it’s fine and good for God to be nice to people who are not nice to Him, but He gets to stay in heaven above the fray and doesn’t have to take anything off them.”

With the sending of Jesus, God was no longer “above the fray.” Jesus was there living everyday by these very principles. In fact, what Jesus gave in this teaching was his battle plan for defeating evil. The whole drama of his crucifixion can be summarized in his statement, “Do not resist an evil person.”

The parallels between Jesus’ teaching in this passage and specific events before and during his crucifixion are uncanny: He was slapped during his trial (Matthew 26:67). The soldiers who crucified him cast lots for his clothing (Math 27:35). He was compelled not only to walk to the place of crucifixion but also to carrying his own cross part of the way (John 19:17). While on the cross, he prayed for his enemies, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34).

What Jesus already knew to be true the day of the sermon, and later proved with his crucifixion, is this: ultimately, evil collapses in on itself when allowed to run its course in the presence of kindness and goodness.

This idea is not as farfetched as it first appears. Consider how some martial arts teach a defender to turn the strength, weight, and momentum of an attacker against himself. The faster the attack, the more power the defender has to turn back against the attacker. The taller and heavier the attacker, the harder he falls.

Similarly, in the crucifixion, Jesus’ submission to evil and his goodness and love tripped up evil. All the forces of evil took a mighty run at Jesus and at first seemed to have won. However, he turned evil’s momentum back against itself, which rendered it a death blow.

Our natural response in the situations Jesus taught about is to defend our rights and our safety. However, he is inviting us to join him in redeeming our own little corner of the universe. When we turn the other cheek, go the extra mile, and pray for people who abuse us, we will eventually see evil collapse in on itself and good come.

Most importantly, by returning good for evil, we act like the God of this universe who rains down blessings on everyone. We begin to resemble Jesus and in more than just title can call our self a son or daughter of God.