Open Matthew 5:10-12.
Jesus’ vocation was to return the world to where it belonged, under God’s reign. He did not expect those who claimed to run the world to simply hand it over. He knew they would oppose him and his followers, just as they had killed the prophets before him. He knew this would be a life and death struggle, for himself and his followers.
Jesus did not train his followers to fight back. He did not promise God would magically rescue us. Instead, he taught us to see our suffering as instantiating God’s kingship. Continue reading “Conflict of kingdoms (Matthew 5:10-12)”
