Why Didn't Jesus Take Up Roman Oppression of the Jews?

"Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." John 12:15

Jesus was born into a world where His people were dominated and treated unjustly by the ruling authority of Rome. As such, the Jews held to the prophecies that God would send them a Deliverer. Such is why King Herod ordered the murder of all male children born around that time, causing Joseph and Mary to hide in Egypt with Jesus when He was a babe (Matthew Chapter 2).

To get a better understanding of this time period and the lives of Jewish people, look at the following excerpts from Jews and the Roman Empire and The Jewish World of Jesus:

Jews and the Roman Empire
The way the Roman Empire developed, was gradually to take over more and more territories in the eastern Mediterranean. Some of these were governed as provinces. You can imagine the Roman Empire gradually taking over more and more areas as they conquered and progressively moved to the east. North Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor, modern day Turkey, Syria. And gradually, they also conquered Judea. In the process, they set up some as provinces, and some as client kingdoms. Judea happened to be one of these client kingdoms run by its own independent, or semi-independent, King. This is the person we know as Herod the Great.

For the ordinary people of the Jewish homeland, Rome was a kind of dominant political factor. Although they might not have seen Romans on a day-to-day basis, the imposition of Roman power was certainly there. In the case of the client kingdom, Judea, Herod's rule and Herod's forces would have been the political entity. But everyone knew that Rome was the power behind the throne. Everyone knew that Rome was the source of both the wealth and also the source of some of the problems that occurred in the Jewish state. So the political reality of the day was of a dominant power overseeing the life on a day-to-day basis.

The Jewish World of Jesus
Life for the Jews under the procurators was exceedingly difficult. For example, Pontius Pilate was described by Agrippa I as unbending and severe with the stubborn, and was accused of bribery, cruelty, and countless murders. This protrait is confirmed by the Jewish historian Josephus who chronicled a number of events that provoked the Jews under Pilate and other procurators, leading to riots, beatings, and executions. The Legate of Syria eventually removed Pilate on the complaints of the Samaritans, whom he had mistreated. After the interim reign of Herod Agrippa I ended in 44 C.E., the situation under the procurators deteriorated even further. In one case, Josephus (who likes to inflate figures) says 20,000 Jews were killed in a riot prompted when a Roman soldier ridiculed some Passover pilgrims with an indecent gesture. There thus emerged within Judaism groups of revolutionaries who looked back to the militaristic Maccabees and their zeal for the Law as great heroes. These “Zealots” were already active in spirit, if not in name, in the period prior to the birth of Jesus. In 6 or 7 C.E., Judas the Galilean and a Pharisee named Zaddok attempted to arouse the people to revolt against the first Roman census. Self-styled prophets and messiahs appeared from time to time and eventually an even more radical group, the Sicarii (Latin sicarius, “dagger”), emerged to foment revolution by assassination. Clearly, the policy of the tyrannical and brutal procurators, like that of the Seleucid Hellenizer Antiochus IV over 150 years earlier, met with increasing opposition led by more revolutionary Jews; ultimately, the forces of moderation could not contain them.

Grin and Bear it

This past summer, I was visiting family and walking up the main street in town.  The sidewalk was just big enough for two people to walk side by side.  Typically, people walking down the sidewalk made room for each other.  If they were walking with someone and saw another coming in the opposite direction, one would move over so that there was room for all to pass.

However, I noticed that not everyone did.  Some would walk with others down the street and continued to do so, even as they saw people coming towards them.  When I encountered such persons, I would automaticaly step on to the grass or street so that they could pass.  In response, they did not say thank you nor even give a smile of acknowledgement or apology; they just kept walking as if I was not even there.

After this happened for the third time, I realized in shock that these people expected me to move out of their way.  They felt entitled and had no consideration for others. They would just bogart their way and expected everyone else to just get out of their way.  Even worse was the realization that I instinctively deferred to these persons every time, without hesitation. Why was I so diffident?

The next time I saw such persons, I did not move.  I did not sidestep into the street.  I stood my ground right where I was. Some eventually moved over so that we all could pass each other.  Some never did, even bumping into me and looking at me as if I had lost my mind for not moving out of their way. I began to wonder why some - by their behavior - seemed to believe that they were worth more than others, while such as myself - by our behavior - seemed to believe that we were worth nothing.

Conclusions to Offering Violence

I have not included on the blog all parts of Thomas Watson's book "The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm", but some key portions which I felt would be most impactful and relevant for the day in which we live. The following is the last portion I will post here which sort of sums up his teachings on the Christians' use of violence in the faith.

If you have not read the other sections, I highly recommend that you do.

Hindrances, Directions, & Conclusions to Offering Violence

I shall, in the next place, lay down some rules or directions on how to get this blessed violence.

Take heed of those things which will hinder this violence for Heaven.

Take heed of unbelief. Unbelief is a great remora, for it is discouraging. When a Christian is working for Heaven, unbelief whispers thus, 'To what purpose are all these pains? I might just as well sit still. I may pray, and not be heard; I may work, and have no reward; I may come near heaven, yet miss it' Jer viii.12. 'And they said, there is no hope.' Unbelief destroys hope; and if you cut this sinew of religion, all violence for Heaven ceases. Unbelief raiseth a cloud of despondency in the heart. Alas, you will never be able to go through the work of religion.  There are so many precepts to obey; so many temptations to resist; so many afflictions to bear, that you will succumbere oneri, fall under the burden; you will tire in your march to Heaven.

Unbelief raiseth jealous thoughts of God, it represents him as an austere master, and that if we fail in so little a punctilio, he will take the extremity of the law upon us. This discourageth the soul in the use of means. Unbelief doth as Sanballat and Tobiah and to the Jews, Nehem. vi. 9. 'They all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work.' O take heed of unbelief; it destroys this holy violence. We read of Jeroboam's arm being withered, 1 Kings xiii. 4. Unbelief withers the arm of the soul, that it cannot stretch itself forth to any spiritual action. Unbelief doth the Devil the greatest kindness; it makes way for his temptations to enter, which do so enchant and bewitch us that we cannot work. Beware of this sin: believe the promises: God 'is good to the soul that seeketh him,' Lam. iii. 25. Do but seek him with importunity, and he will open both his heart and Heaven to thee.

Arrows of Reproof and Apostasy

In Part 9 of Thomas Watson's "The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm", he discusses why the proper use of spiritual violence is a protection against apostasy.

Part 9 - Arrows of Reproof and Apostasy

Out of this text I may draw forth several arrows of reproof.

It reproves slothful Christians who are settled on their knees: they make a lazy profession of religion, but use no violence. -- They are like the lilies, which toil not, neither do they spin. The snail, by reason of its slow motion, was reckoned among the unclean, Levit. xi. 30. St. Augustine calls idleness the burial of a man alive. There are some faint wishes, oh that I had Heaven! but a man may desire venison, and want it, if he does not hunt for it. Prov. xiii. 4. ‘The soul of the sluggard wisheth and hath nothing.’

---- Neque mola, neque farina ----

Men could be content to have the kingdom of Heaven; but they are loath to fight for it. They choose rather to go in a feather bed to Hell than to be carried to Heaven in a ‘fiery chariot’ of zeal and violence. How many sleep away, and play away, their time; as if they were made like the Leviathan, to play in the sea! Psalm civ. 26. It is a saying of Seneca, ‘No man is made wise by chance.’ Sure it is, no man is saved by chance, but he must know how he came by it, namely, by offering violence. Such as have accustomed themselves to an idle, lazy temper will find it hard to shake off, Cant. v. 3. ‘I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on?’ The spouse had laid herself upon the bed of sloth, and though Christ knocked at the door, she was loath to rise and let him in. Some pretend to be believers, but are idle in the vineyard. -- They pretend to make use of faith for seeing, but not for working; this faith is fancy. O that Christians had a spirit of activity in them, 1 Chron. xxii. 16. ‘Arise and be doing, and the Lord be with thee.’

We may sometimes learn of our enemy. The Devil is never idle; he ‘walketh about,’ 1 Peter v. 8. The world is his diocese and he is every day going on his visitation. Is satan active? Is the enemy upon his march com­ing against us? And are we asleep upon our guard? As Satan himself is not idle, so he will not endure that any of his servants should be idle. When the Devil had entered into Judas, how active was Judas! He goes to the high priest, from thence to the band of soldiers and with them back to the garden, and never left till he had betrayed Christ. Satan will not endure an idle servant; and do we think God will? How will the heathen rise up in judgment against slothful Christians! What pains did they take in the Olympian games: they ran for a garland of flowers, and do we stand still who run for a crown of immortality? Certainly, if only the violent take Heaven, the idle person will never come there. God puts no difference between these two, slothful and wicked, Matt. xxv. 26.‘Thou wicked and slothful servant.’

The Christian Offering Violence to Heaven

In this part of the book, "The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm" Thomas Watson talks about how the Christian offer violence for the taking of Heaven.

Part 8 - The Christian Offering Violence to Heaven

Fourthly, we must offer violence to Heaven. 'The kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence.' Though Heaven is given us freely, yet we must take pains for it. Canaan was given Israel freely, but they had to fight with the Canaanites. It is not a lazy wish, or a sleepy prayer, will bring us to Heaven; we must offer violence. Therefore in Scripture our earnestness for Heaven is shown by those allegories and metaphors which imply violence.

• Sometimes by striving. Luke xiii.24. 'Strive to enter in at the strait gate.'-The Greek signifies, Strive as in an agony.
  
  
• Wrestling, which is a violent exercise. Eph. vi. 12. We are to wrestle with a body of sin, and with the powers of hell.
  
  
• Running in a race, 1 Cor. ix.24. 'So run that ye may obtain.' We have a long race from earth to Heaven, but a little time to run; it will soon be sunset. Therefore, so run. In a race there's not only a laying aside of all weights that hinder, but a putting forth of all the strength of the body; a straining every joint that men may press on with all swiftness to lay hold on the prize. Thus Paul pressed towards the mark. Phil. iii:14. Alas, where is this holy violence to be found?

Offering Violence to Satan and The World

Part 7 of Thomas Watson's book, "The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken by Storm" is on offering violence to Satan and the world.

Part 7 - Offering Violence to Satan and The World

We must offer violence to Satan. Satan opposeth us both by open violence, and secret treachery. By open violence, so he is called the Red Dragon; by secret treachery, so he is called the Old Serpent. We read in Scripture of his snares and darts; he hurts more by his snares than by his darts.

1. His Violence. He labours to storm the castle of the heart; he stirs up passion, lust, and revenge. These are called 'fiery darts,' Ephes. vi.16 because they oft set the soul on fire. Satan in regard to his fierceness is called a Lion, 1 Peter iv. 6. 'Your adversary the Devil is a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour.' Not (saith Chrysostom) whom he may bite, but devour.
   
   
2. His Treachery. What he cannot do by force, he will endeavor to do by fraud. Satan hath several subtle policies in tempting.

In suiting his temptations to the complexion and temper of the body, Satan studies physiognomy, and lays suitable baits. -- He knew Achan's s covetous humour, and tempted him with a wedge of gold. He tempts the sanguine man with beauty.

Another subtlety is to draw men to evil, sub specie boni, under a pretence of good. -- The pirate doeth mischief by hanging out false colours; so does Satan by hanging out the colours of religion.  He puts some men upon sinful actions, and persuades them much good will come of it.  He tells them in some cases that they may dispense with the rule of the Word, and stretch their conscience beyond that line, that they may be in a capacity of doing more service. As if God needed our sin to raise his glory.

Satan tempts to sin gradually. As the husbandman digs about the root of a tree, and by degrees loosens it, and at last it falls. Satan steals by degrees into the heart: he is at first more modest: he did not say to Eve at first, Eat the apple; no, but he goes more subtly to work; he puts forth a question. Hath God said? Sure Eve, thou art mistaken; the bountiful God never intended to debar one of the best trees of the garden. Hath God said? Sure, either God did not say it; or if he did, he never really intended it. Thus by degrees he wrought her to distrust and then she took of the fruit and ate. Oh, take heed of Satan's first motions to sin, that seem more modest -- principiis obsta. He is first a fox, and then a lion.

Violence by Self-Examination

In this section of Thomas Watson's book, "The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm", he discusses violence as part of the Christian duty for self-examination.

Part 5 - Self-examination

The fifth duty wherein we are to offer violence to ourselves, self-examination; a duty of great importance: it is a parleying with one's own heart, Psalm lxxxvii. 7. 'I commune with mye own heart.' David did put interrogatories to himself. Self-examination is the setting up a court in conscience and keeping a register there, that by strict scrutiny a man may know how things stand between God and his own soul. Self-examination is a spiritual inquisition; a bringing one's self to trial. A good Christian doth as it were begin the day of Judgment here in his own soul. Self-searching is a heart-anatomy.

As a Chirurgeon, when he makes a dissection in the body, discovers the intestina, the inward parts, the heart, liver, and arteries, so a Christian anatomizeth himself; he searcheth what is flesh and what is spirit; what is sin, and what is grace, Psalm lxxvii. 7. 'My spirit made diligent search:' As the woman in the Gospel did light a candle, and search for her lost groat, Luke xv. 8. so conscience 'is the candle of the Lord,' Prov. xx. 27. A Christian by the light of this candle must search his soul to see if he can find any grace there. The rule by which a Christian must try himself, is the Word of God. Fancy and opinion are false rules to go by. We must judge of our spiritual condition by the canon of Scripture. This David calls a 'lamp unto his feet,' Psalm cxix. 105. Let the word be the umpire to decide the controversy, whether we have grace or no. We judge of colours by the sun. So we must judge of the state of souls by the light of Scripture.

Violence by Prayer and Meditation

In Part 4 of Thomas Watson's writing: The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm, he addresses the topic of "violence" in relation to prayer and meditation.

Part 4 - Prayer and Meditation

3. The third duty wherein we are to offer violence to ourselves, is in prayer. Prayer is a duty which keeps the trade of religion flowing. When we either join in prayer with others, or pray alone, we must use holy violence; not eloquence in prayer, but violence carries it. Theodorus, speaking of Luther, 'once (says he) I overheard him in prayer: but, (good God), with what life and spirit did he pray! It was with so much reverence, as if he were speaking to God, yet with so much confidence, as if he had been speaking to his friend.' There must be a stirring up of the heart,

1.To prayer.
2. In prayer.

A stirring up of the heart to prayer, Job xi. 13. 'If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward him.' This preparing of our heart by holy thoughts and ejaculations. The musician first tunes his instrument before he plays.

There must be a stirring up of the heart in prayer. Prayer is a lifting up of the mind and soul to God, which cannot be done aright without offering violence to one-self. The names given to prayer imply violence. It is called wrestling, Gen. xxxii. 24. and a pouring out of the soul, 1 Sam. i. 15. both of which imply vehemency. The affection is required as well as invention -- The apostle speaks of an effectual fervent prayer, which is a parallel phrase to offering violence.

Alas, how far from offering violence to themselves in prayer, 1. That give God a dead, heartless prayer. God would not have the blind offered, Mal. i. 8; as good offer the blind is as offering the dead. Some are half asleep when they pray, and will a sleepy prayer ever awaken God? Such as mind not their own prayers, how do they think that God should mind them? Those prayers God likes best which come seething hot from the heart.

Violence by Reading & Hearing the Word

Looking still at "violence" from a Godly perspective, below is Part 3 of Thomas Watson's writing: The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm.

Part 3 - by Reading and Hearing the Word

1. We must provoke ourselves to reading of the word. What an infinite mercy it is that God hath honoured us with the Scriptures! The barbarous Indians have not the oracles of God made known to them; they have the golden mines, but not the Scriptures which are more to be desired 'than much fine gold,' Psalm xix. 10. Our Savior bids us 'search the Scriptures', John v.39. We must not read these holy lines carelessly, as if they did not concern us, or run over them hastily, as Israel ate the passover in haste; but peruse them with reverence and seriousness. The noble Bereans did 'search the Scriptures daily,' Acts xvii.11. The Scripture is the pandect of divine knowledge; it is the rule and touchstone of truth; out of this well we draw the water of life. To provoke to a diligent reading of the word, labor to have a right notion of Scripture.

Read the word as a book made by God Himself. It is given 'by divine inspiration' 2 Tim. iii.16. It is the library of the Holy Ghost. The prophets and apostles were but God's amanuenses or notaries to write the law at his mouth. The word is of divine original, and reveals the deep things of God to us. There is a numen, or sense of deity engraven in man's heart and is to be read in the book of the creatures; quaelibet herba Deum; but who this God is, and the Trinity of persons in the Godhead, is infinitely, above the light of reason; only God Himself could make this known. So for the incarnation of Christ; God and man hypostatically united in one person; the mystery of imputed righteousness; the doctrine of faith: what angel in heaven, who but God himself, could reveal these things to us? How this may provoke to diligence and seriousness in reading the word which is divinely inspired. Other books may be written by holy men, but this book is indicted by the Holy Ghost.

Offering Violence to Ourselves

Continuing in the same topic of examining the attribute of "violence" from a Godly perspective, below is Part 2 of Thomas Watson's writing: The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm.

Watson's instructions in this text are so simple (as is Scripture in this area), yet it remains one of the hardest things for man to do.  Perhaps it is because man is not "violent" enough against his own flesh.

Part 2 - Offering violence to ourselves

He must offer violence to himself -- This self-violence consists in two things:

1. Mortification of sin.
2. Provocation to duty.

1. Offering violence to one's self, in a spiritual sense, consists in mortification of sin: Self is the flesh; this we must offer violence to. Hierom,, Chrysostom, and Theophilact, do all expound taking Heaven by force, the mortifying of the flesh; the flesh is a bosom traitor; it is like the Trojan horse within the walls which doth all the mischief. The flesh is a sly enemy; at first it is dulce venenum, afterwards scorpio pungens, it kills by embracing.

The embraces of the flesh are like the ivy embracing the oak; which sucks out the strength of it for its own leaves and berries: So the flesh by its soft embraces, sucks out of the heart all good, Gal. v. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit. The pampering of the flesh, is the quenching of God's spirit. The flesh chokes and stifles holy motions: the flesh sides with Satan and is true to its interest. There is a party within that will not pray, that will not believe. The flesh inclines us more to believe a temptation than a promise. There needs no wind to blow to sin when this tide within is so strong to carry us thither. The flesh is so near to us, its counsels are more attractive: no chain of adamant which binds so fast as the chain of lust. Alexander, who was victor mundi, conqueror of the world, was captious vitiorum, led captive by vice. Now a man must offer violence to his fleshly desires if he will be saved, Col. iii. 5. 'Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.' The mortifying and killing sin at the root, is when we not only forbear the acts of sin, but hate the inbeing. Plurimi peccata radunt non eradicant. Bern.

Taking Heaven by Violence

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." Matthew 11:12

violence: swift and intense force; rough or immoderate vehemence.

About a year ago, my son stepped on a bug outside the house and my father was disturbed.  As a Buddhist, he believes that all animals - including insects - possess "the nature of Buddha" within and are therefore capable of being "enlightened".  Further, because humans can be reincarnated as animals according to this belief system, the act was tantamount to killing a person.  My father expressed concern about what he felt might be "violent tendencies" in my son.

I told my father that - while I didn't want my son unnecessarily killing bugs - neither did I want to castrate him or effeminize him by rebuking the natural instinct behind that action.  There is a place in God's kingdom...even for violence; we simply needed to guide him about the proper way to display that impulse.  We are to pray vehemently.  We are to confront Satan forcefully.  We are to address our own flesh mercilessly...  I referenced Matthew 11:12 and tried to explain this to him further, but I think I did a fairly poor job.

On the surface, "violence" can be seen as something bad or unGodly, even to Christians.  I recently wrote about a father's chastening of his daughter to show how certain attributes - which have Godly applications - are being demonized by the world.  A number of people decried what they saw as "violence" in this father's actions, but I was reminded of the interaction with my own son.  The instinct is correct; it just needs to be redirected towards God's purposes.

To look more closely at our assumptions about violence, I would like to post text from a book that I recommended in that article.  It is by  Thomas Watson and is entitled, "The Christian Soldier: Heaven Taken By Storm".  In it, he provides a pretty thorough review of this topic including God's expectations for us in it.

Tommy Jordan For President?

Tommy Jordan responding to his daughter's rant on
Facebook about chores.

Yesterday, someone asked me who I was voting for in the presidential election.  Truthfully, there is no one I would vote for...at least that is what I thought before today.

In the news lately, there has been much talk about North Carolina father Tommy Jordan who made a video response to his daughter's disrespectful posting on Facebook.  Now I will warn that the language in this video is appalling.  Yet, I also know that this is how many teens are speaking today...and believing they can do so outside of their parents' earshot through social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter...

Now there is a major outcry from some saying how the Dad has, "Completely ruined his 15-year old daughter's life now."  Really?  Since when does social networking become the essence of one's "whole life"?  If they are speaking of how things linger and follow you on the Internet, then most assuredly the profanity-ridden rant she posted against her parents did very little for establishing her as a person of character.  If she feels free to openly post such disregard for her family and herself, then I sure see no problem with him responding in kind to express his displeasure and disappointment.