Peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. Starbucks and yoga pants. Some things are just meant to go together.
What about Christians and guns?
In the US, Christians and guns are an iconic duo. For decades, the most ardent defenders of the Second Amendment have been evangelical Christians. Our churches are full of hunters, soldiers, and sportsmen who are not only gun owners, but proudly so. It's part of the culture.
But what would Jesus think of that?
For many, the answer seems obvious: "He wouldn't much like it."
This case is made largely by passages like Luke 22 (cf John 18, Matthew 26), when Peter leaps to Jesus' defense and cuts the guard's ear off, only for Jesus to rebuke him and heal his captor. From this and other accounts, it is clear that Jesus was something of a pacifist during his earthly ministry. Contrary to what his fellow Jews were hoping for, he came to make peace, not wage war against the Roman Empire.
"This," the argument goes, "clearly shows us that Jesus was against violence and would thus not approve of his followers carrying firearms today."
But let's step back and examine this from another angle.
Peter attacked the official because he was going to arrest Jesus. But Jesus knew this was going to happen, and knew this needed to happen. It was the beginning of his private trial, which would end in his public execution, which would be the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. It was part of the plan - the main purpose in his coming to earth.
Jesus knew that in laying down his own life, he was accomplishing the Father's plan and saving countless lives.
Now, let's flip it.
Let's say they weren't guards. Let's say they were thugs.
And let's say Peter wasn't defending Jesus. Let's say he was defending a group of small children.
Do you still think Jesus' response, as Peter pulled out his sword to save a screaming two-year-old girl, would have, "Put it away, Peter. Violence isn't the answer. This is her cross to bear."
If so, then the Jesus you're thinking of is not the Jesus I know.
Jesus said, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus didn't say, "If anyone slaps your wife on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." Jesus said, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Jesus didn't say, "Love your enemies and let them have their way with your daughters."
Here's an unpopular truth: A man is responsible for his family.
"But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." - 1 Timothy 5:8
I've heard many people use this verse to explain how a Christian man is supposed to provide everything from food to shelter to spiritual guidance. I can think of many who would take it to mean that it is his role to provide emotional stability. A safe space, as it were.
Yes and amen. But if a father is responsible for proving these things for his wife and children, surely he is responsible for providing physical safety as well.
It's one thing to lay down your life when yours is the only one being laid down. But when you have a family to provide for, there are more things to consider. It complicates the situation. This, I believe, is part of what Paul is getting at in 1 Corinthians 7. "The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided."
When you're 4th and long, you punt. Not so when you're 3rd and inches. Context matters. That's the big idea.
David once wrote, "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." That doesn't mean he didn't have chariots. That doesn't mean he didn't have horses. He had both. He didn't cut off Goliath's head with thoughts and prayers. It's not about either trusting God or trusting a gun. It's about trusting God more than the gun.