I see it as a contrast of kingdoms and kingdom ways (or cultures).

We have a choice to make – participate in the Kingdom of God, accepting His culture, ways, values, economy, priorities… or continue participating in the kingdom of this world, accepting its culture, ways, values, etc.

What does the kingdom of this world look like exactly? Pretty much the opposite of the Beatitudes. The kingdom of this world is one of power and aggression. The loudest, fastest, strongest, smartest, most powerful succeed. Those who conquer are heroes.

It is the kingdom of Caesar. It is the kingdom of the sword.

So we have to choose:
Will we follow the kingdom of Caesar or the Kingdom of Christ? Will we pick up our swords or will we pick up our cross?

The way of the Kingdom of God is one of death and resurrection. We must die to self – our ways, our will, even our wants. And when we surrender and “die,” we experience life—real life, life that is rich with joy and peace (that the kingdom of Caesar will never know).

Q. Why don’t many Christians accept this teaching? Why do we have such a hard time with the Beatitudes?

A. I think this teaching from Jesus goes against the grain and is so subversive, we don’t even recognize that is of God (just like people didn’t recognize the Messiah because he came as a weak, poor, venerable baby in humble and embarrassing circumstances). Plus – if we REALLY accept and live this teaching from Jesus, it would mean “dying.” We almost always prefer that someone else die (like our enemies, those who are against us).

“Blessed are:
the poor in spirit,
those who mourn, 
the meek, 
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 
the merciful, 
the pure in heart, 
the peacemakers, 
those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. For in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

I wonder if most Christians don’t accept this type of living as the way to live life, because as believers in Christ we often feel the responsibility of being the strong ones, full of joy at all times and all seasons, beaming with hope, knowledgeable in the our understanding of “Truth”, always ready to teach, rebuke, or clarify dogma…. We are in a way expected to live like this, as an example of Godliness and perseverance. To help the World find the Light which is in Christ.. Even though Jesus taught us over and over, that blessing belongs to people who live differently.. And seems to suggest that we are expected to use an entirely different grading scale when we judge ourselves and others.

What did Christ try to teach when he gave this message? I think He was revealing that blessing does not come from the places we expect. Blessing belongs to people who do things that don’t always seem honorable or praiseworthy.. They show their weakness. (they mourn) They back down, and listen in an argument. (they make peace) They don’t prolong a fight in order be found “right”.. They won’t argue for rights to “the last word” (they see real value in being meek) When they know they are right, they can choose to let the other person “retreat with dignity.” After a dispute, they don’t hunt the other person down and chew them up to make a point.. (they are merciful, they show mercy, they give mercy) They go without, and they know what it feels like to be desperate & in need (when they are malnourished, they hunger and thirst for righteousness)….

Come to think of it, they don’t sound that different from a lot of people who come to church and hear of Jesus for the first time. When new believers are there, finally experiencing the relief which comes from accepting God’s mercy, they are not focused on being “leadership material.” They are (often times) in full awareness of their broken state. They do not worry about perfecting the best arguments for defending their faith. They are looking for answers, and willing to learn. They have not spent the years of study, as we have, which has somehow reinforced the idea that to be Christian means to be above the world. To be better, and to be “righter”.

But as Christians look around, and we see that we are still like the world, we still live as humans. We still feel mistaken and disconnected from God at times due to our misdeeds. We should remind ourselves, like we remind new believers, that to be weak does not nullify the strength and power we receive from God through Christ. And there is no shame coming down from God, in response to our weakness (or wickedness) Seriously!! We are truly free to be healed and loved while we work through the many stages of brokenness and imperfection. That’s why it says he loved us while we are still sinners. God loves us before we know Who He is, while he orchestrates situations for us to Learn Who He is, while we are in the awkward stages of discovering Him, learning the Law, trying to live by it, then over-and-over coming to the realization that it is our FAITH which has made us right with God, to hopefully arrive at a place of unwaivering conviction that the FAITH we have in our hearts, is what has always reconciled us to God. Therefore, if we know we have faith, we must also believe that there is no longer anything which can separate us from Him… God loves us through the whole process, and personally I think it’s OK to acknowlege that a lot of the stages of faith can look pretty awkward, misguided, and Still those are all purposeful parts of our journey.

Please comment a response if you have one. I’m stating this to make a point and encourage, but I also want to know what you guys think about it too?

God hates sin but loves people. When someone has not accepted the Grace of Jesus dying on the cross God doesn’t see that person but only their sin. Once a person has accepted Grace, God no longer sees sin but He sees His Son.

God’s creation was perfect until man sinned. Because of that sin, that choice to separate ourselves from God, blood must be spilt so that we can be atoned. That is the only way to escape God’s wrath.

God loves his creation, God loves everyone in the world but rejection of that love means we deserve God’s wrath and judgement.

I’m inclined to side with Driscoll, God cannot be a pacifist. God has given everyone an opportunity to escape His wrath but those who continually reject that will feel His wrath in full force. A God that is a pacifist would not have created Hell or the Lake of Fire or Eternal Damnation, whatever your flavor.

God is so just that on your death bed you can still accept His Grace and spend eternity with Him, no matter what your life looked like previously. I love that, I love how loving He is. But I also love that He is just, He is, as the Bible says, “Faithful and Just.”

For a long time God’s wrath fell on the majority of His creation because only His chosen people, the Israelites could have there sins atoned. But as John 3:16 states, “God so loved THE WORLD…”

God, in His faithfulness to creation, gave the whole world an opportunity to have their Sins atoned so long as they accepted a free gift. We now live in that period, from the day Jesus’ blood was spilt until His millennial reign we, at least while we are living, are covered from God’s wrath.

But understand once the end times come, that wrath will be unleashed on all those who have rejected Him. That is not pacifism.

Our role in all of this? To preach the Good News, that there is hope and love to anyone who will accept it. I don’t worry about the wrath of God because my hope is in Jesus’ Grace, but I don’t pretend it isn’t there either.

Greg Boyd is currently writing a book on this exact topic called “The Crucifixion of the Warrior God.” I am very much looking forward to this book – Greg is a respected theologian with a strong pacifist-bent. There was a recent flurry of internet reaction to Mark Driscoll’s blog post “Is God A Pacifist” http://theresurgence.com/2013/10/22/is-god-a-pacifist

Greg Boyd responds to Driscoll’s post in a 3-part series. Here’s a brief quote:

To prove that “Jesus is not a pansy or a pacifist,” Driscoll by-passes the Gospels and instead cites a passage from Revelation. This is a strategy Driscoll has used before. In an interview in Relevant Magazine several years ago, Driscoll argued that, “In Revelation, Jesus is a pride fighter with a tattoo down His leg, a sword in His hand and the commitment to make someone bleed.” He went on record as saying that he could worship this image of Jesus because “I could never worship a guy I could beat up.”

Links to Greg’s posts:
http://reknew.org/2013/10/responding-to-driscolls-is-god-a-pacifist-part-i/
http://reknew.org/2013/10/gregs-response-to-driscolls-is-god-a-pacifist-part-ii/
http://reknew.org/2013/10/gregs-response-to-driscolls-is-god-a-pacifist-part-iii/

A few other respected Christian leaders reacted to this idea of the prize-fighting Jesus brandishing a sword… and are featured in this article by Jonathan Merritt: http://jonathanmerritt.religionnews.com/2013/10/24/mark-driscolls-pansy-post-outrages-christian-pacifists/

And finally, back to Brian Zahnd… he responds to John Piper’s idea that God is glorified by genocide: http://brianzahnd.com/2013/08/john-piper-and-allah-akbar/#more-3023

None of these posts may be of interest to you – or they may help you wrestle with the tension of this OT picture we have of God – contrasted with Jesus, the fully-revealed God in the flesh – who appears to have a very different way.

Ultimately, here’s where I rest: Jesus has the final word – in terms of His teaching, His life, His example. He is the opposite of escalation. He did not resist; He sacrificed self. That’s my God.

Not trying to argue, this has always been an issue I have struggled with.

Attention, all! See the marvels of God! He plants flowers and trees all over the earth, bans war from pole to pole, breaks all the weapons across his knee. “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me, your High God, above politics, above everything.” —Psalm 46.8-10 MSG

Love this.