So Jesus came not as a general or a political leader but as a sacrificial lamb; preaching the Kingdom of God, repentance and love. Espousing such ideas as turning the other cheek, going the second mile, forgiveness and to spread the gospel that he taught. And he clearly lays out that those who follow him will be persecuted in his name, even killed and they must not lose faith.
In Texas a pastor shot someone who broke into a church. “I commanded him to stop twice, and he didn’t. So fearing for my life, I did what I had to do,” Mr. Holmes told a local ABC affiliate. Now after what happened in Charleston, SC I completely understand the sentiment of Pastor Holmes.
What I ponder is how does one truly embrace faith completely, where the fear of losing ones own life no longer exists. What would it be like to face everything that might come with no fear only peace of mind and soul?
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?
I was not there, I can’t say what I would have done in this preacher’s place but having worked in a church for nearly 5 years I can say that I have experienced strangers coming into the building. Why does a person come to a church, they are in need of something. We are there to be Jesus to that person, we may be the only example of Jesus that a person ever sees.
When I was a teenager I was sometimes sent on errands within the church. Our church was huge, and dark and I can remember going through the halls saying, ” I will not fear in my Father’s house”, and ever since then I have never been fearful in the house of God.
I would pray there no one would ever feel fear to the point that they need to have a gun in a church, either to cause harm or from the need to defend themselves. A gun in a church will not accomplish anything that Jesus came for. I pray for God to give his people a spirit of courage in His name and not a spirit of fear for the one accomplishes much and the other does nothing but destroy.
My final thought on this issue… Jesus feared for his life, he prayed, cried and was so distressed that he sweat drops of blood. To fear to the point that you sweat drops of blood, that you cause capillaries to burst and bleed because you are so afraid, is a fear that no one I know has ever experienced, but Jesus did. Even in this fear he never armed himself, yet gave himself over willingly. He is the example that we have been given and the one “Christians” should be prepared to follow.