The Crucifixion of Nonviolence
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| "Crucifixion" by Freddy Dendoktoor |
During the past couple of weeks, I’ve been reading various articles and books on the Anabaptist movement and descendants of the Radical Reformation. The Radical Reformation took place at the same time as the magisterial reformation (Calvinists, Lutherans, etc.) but articulated different ideas and practices the church got wrong. The radical reformers died for their beliefs in: a separation between the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the world, not swearing oaths, adult baptism (anabaptist = to baptize again), living a Christo-centric life, evangelizing, and reclaiming the first century church structures.[1] What has drawn me to this stream of Christianity is the emphasis on nonviolence and pacifism.
Pacifism isn’t passivity. Walter Wink, a thinker much referenced by modern anabaptists, sees pacifism as “militant nonviolence articulated
by Jesus”, or “the third way”.[2] For example, after
explaining that resisting an evildoer (Matt. 5:39) doesn’t imply passive submission,
but rather not retaliating with violence, he goes on to explore turning the other
cheek. I think it’s worth quoting:
Why then does he counsel
these already humiliated people to turn the other cheek? Because this action
robs the oppressor of the power to humiliate. The person who turns the other cheek
is saying, in effect, “Try again. Your first blow failed to achieve its
intended effect. I deny you the power to humiliate me. I am a human being just
like you. Your status does not alter that fact. You cannot demean me.” … The oppressor
has been forced, against his will, to regard this subordinate as an equal human
being. The powerful person has been stripped of his power to dehumanize the
other. This response, far from admonishing passivity and cowardice, is an
act of defiance.[3]
You see, we are called to resist the temptation of fighting
or flying. Instead, we are to stand our ground and assert that the powers,
principalities, rulers, authorities, and all oppressors have been subjected
under Christ (Eph 1:20-23) and cannot destroy who we are: icons, image-bearers,
of the One True God. When we see our fellow brothers and sisters being
subjected to the whims of those reigning above, we are to take their guns of threat
and turn them into tools of beauty.[4]
After being convinced of the nonviolent approach, I wondered about the Crucifixion and Good Friday. Growing up, I was exposed to what is known as “Penal Substitutionary Atonement” (PSA). PSA is a theory about why Christ had to die on the cross. To put it simply, God, due to his perfect holiness, cannot stand the sight of a sinful person. However, because God loves us so much, he sent his Son, Jesus, to stand in place of us – we who deserve to be punished. By this death, God has “forgiven” us.
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| A Complete (Common) Misunderstanding of Salvation |
Revenge porn, of a sort. So, let me ask with Gustaf Aulén (a 20th century Swedish theologian): “Can He be called a forgiving God if He cannot forgive sin except He first punishes somebody to the full extent?”[5] The theory that Aulén champions is called “Christus Victor”, which entails that Christ is victorious over death and evil and has set Creation free from the bondage and sickness of sin. Through the life Christ has lived and the death on the cross, Jesus has healed us and broken the chains of evils past. God, lowering himself (Phil 2:5-11) took on flesh, lived a human life, died a (violent) human death, and is risen. This was done out of love to open the narrow gate and “become perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt 5:48). By participating in Creation, Jesus has brought that path to light. And this little light of mine, I’m gunna let it shine.
So, why the cross? We can see that his death and
resurrection show his victory over sin, but why die at the hands of corrupt
religious people and a government hell-bent on being a worldwide empire?
My first “true” introduction to Anabaptist thought was
through an Old Testament/Theology professor of mine (one of my favorites). His
dissertation was on a Mennonite (one of the movements within Anabaptism itself)
named John Howard Yoder and he extends his views on how the Old Testament
should influence the way the Church looks, behaves, and lives its mission out.[6] Yoder himself talked about
what the Cross means during a sermon on Palm Sunday, 1968, the day after MLK
Jr. was assassinated.[7] In this sermon, he goes
over why there’s a need for the cross and how Jesus accepted the Cross.
In John 19, Pilate questions the crowd about who to
release: Barabbas or Jesus? The crowds scream out to kill Jesus and that
whoever claims him as king is a traitor to the Emperor and Empire. And so,
Pilate sends him out to be crucified. In Yoder’s words,
Whatever else we can say,
we have to begin by saying that there had to be a cross because Jesus had
frightened the authorities. Crowds followed him. He was identifying
social evils and getting a hearing… Jesus’ cross was the price to pay for
being the kind of person he was in the kind of world he was in; the cross that
he chose was the price of his representing a new way of life in a world
that did not want a new way of life. That is what he called his followers to
do….Why do we need a savior? The guilt that killed Jesus and keeps on killing
people like him is not only guilt somewhere on a heavenly account book that is
kept up to date by a heavenly judge. Nor is it only in the troubled breasts of
the pious person. The guilt that killed Jesus and keeps on killing people
like him is in the violent structures of a society that is based on pride,
wealth, and power.[8]
The Cross is the method of the empire, aka powers and
authorities. His death happens because he dared to challenge the way the
worldly governments, institutions, and people live their lives. He challenged
the status quo by calling out those who were wealthy, religiously prideful, and
violent offenders. He called them into a life of poverty, of a single mind, and
evangelism. He healed and welcomed those who were unclean as well as those who
were seen as enemies (tax collectors, military leaders, etc.). Anabaptist Ted
Grimsrud puts it this way, “just as God, out of gracious initiative,
liberated the Hebrew slaves in days of old, so here, out of gracious
initiative, God brings healing to those in Jesus’s world enslaved by
demons, blindness, sickness, and even the trappings of power.”[9]
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Birching of Anabaptist martyr Ursula, Maastricht, 1570; engraving by Jan Luyken from Martyrs Mirror[59] |
In the book just quoted, Instead of Atonement,
Grimsrud traces the biblical story of God’s “gracious initiatives”. Though I
haven’t finished it yet, the biggest point seems to be that the Scriptures point to God’s
reign being one of nonviolence and peace contra the world’s reign of violence
and chaos. He traces this through the biblical narratives from Abraham to
Revelation and highlights points often missed. He emphasizes that sacrifices
and following Torah weren’t a means of changing God’s attitude, rather they
were a response to trust and follow God. Likewise, the prophets’ critiques of
the sacrifices see the rituals as making claims on God’s favor and thereby excusing
the peoples’ injustices, such as neglecting the poor, the widowed, and not
living out Sabbath principles.[10] The biblical prophets “underscore
that salvation from the beginning in the Old Testament comes as a gift from
God, initiated by God, and appropriated first by trust in God alone and a
rejection of idols, and then actualized through sacrifice and obedience to the
law.”[11] It is through our living
out of the Gospel, in proclamation and action, that we truly live out salvation.
By living out the call to “sell all your possessions” (Matt 19:21, Luke 18:22),
“hold everything in common” (Acts 2:44), and “repent, and believe the good news”
(Mark 1:15), we are living into the Kingdom of God. And “Jesus’s way values
kindness, respect, care, just love, and shalom – directly in continuity with
Torah. In calling what is happening in his life and among his followers the
presence of God’s Kingdom, Jesus means for his hearers to take what he says
with utmost seriousness.”[12]
So, where does the cross come into play? His violent
and atrocious death on the cross reveals the true rebellion of the powers and
authorities against God. It shows the response of the principalities and rulers
to the salvation offered by God. They’d much rather kill Jesus and persecute
his people than to lose an inch of power. They’d rather torture and exploit
their citizens than to feel threatened. They’d rather feel secure in their wealth
than feed the beggar on the street. Pride and Greed – Black and Green - is all
they bleed. It is how they live.
For the way is “militant nonviolence” against the
powers that transform the Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of Creation into ruins for
the purposes of maintaining status, securing positions, and dominating others.
This “active peace” leads to crucifixion. The crucifixion of nonviolence is the
Crucifixion of Christ. And Christ being the King of kings and Lord of lords, is
a direct attack on the powers that be. Our lives should be based on his
teachings, his life, and ultimately his death to the world of violence. To no
one other can we give our allegiance and support, save God alone.
And like the Anabaptists, I’d like for everyone to
know the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7, NRSV) :
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain;
and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and
taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be
comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the
earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive
mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute
you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and
be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost
its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for
anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.
“You are the light of the world. A city built on a
hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel
basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the
same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good
works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or
the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter,
will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one
of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be
called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them
will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your
righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter
the kingdom of heaven.
“You have heard
that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not murder’; and
‘whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that if you are
angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult
a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, ‘You
fool,’ you will be liable to the Gehenna of fire. So when you are offering your
gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something
against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled
to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms
quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your
accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you
will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you
have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not
commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust
has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes
you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of
your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right
hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to
lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell
“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him
give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces
his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and
whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
“Again, you
have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear
falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you,
Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the
earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the
great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white
or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or
‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye
and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if
anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants
to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces
you to go one mile, go also the second mile.Give to everyone who begs from you,
and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say
to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may
be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and
on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you
love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax
collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters,what
more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be
perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
“Beware of practicing your piety before others in
order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in
heaven.
“So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet
before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that
they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who
sees in secret will reward you.
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites;
for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so
that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward.But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to
your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you.
“When you are
praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that
they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your
Father knows what you need before you ask him.
“Pray then in
this way:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be
your name.
Your kingdom
come.
Your will be
done,
on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this
day our daily bread.
And forgive
us our debts,
as we
also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not
bring us to the time of trial,
but
rescue us from the evil one.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others,
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
“And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites,
for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.But when you fast, put oil on
your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others
but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will
reward you.
“Do not store
up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where
thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and
steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is
healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy,
your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness,
how great is the darkness!
“No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either
hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the
other. You cannot serve God and mammon [wealth].
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,
what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will
wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the
birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of
you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry
about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither
toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed
like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive
today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe
you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or
‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For it is the Gentiles who strive
for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all
these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well.
“So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will
bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with
the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the
measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not
notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me
take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You
hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see
clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’ eye.
“Do not give
what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will
trample them under foot and turn and maul you.
“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will
find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks
receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for
bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If
you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much
more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
“In everything do to others as you would have them do
to you; for this is the law and the prophets.
“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide
and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.
For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are
few who find it.
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s
clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits.
Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every
good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does
not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know
them by their fruits.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter
the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in
heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in
your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your
name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you
evildoers.’
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts
on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the
floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall,
because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine
and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on
sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against
that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the
crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having
authority, and not as their scribes.
[1]
See A Living Alternative: Anabaptist Christianity in a Post-Christendom
World edited by Joanna Harader & A.O. Green. Especially on evangelism, “Wine
in New Wineskins: The Usefulness of 16th century Anabaptist
Evangelism Methods for Today’s Ekklesia” by A.O. Green and especially on
discipleship, “Gelassenheit: Deepening the Alternative Presence of Jesus” by
Chris Lenshyn.
[2]
Walter Wink, Jesus and Nonviolence: A Third Way, 11. The whole book
itself is a fantastic deep dive into the Sermon on the Mount.
[3]
Wink, Jesus and Nonviolence, 14-15. Italics added.
[4]
See Shane Claiborne’s work and community, The Simple Way, where they literally melt
guns and turn them into tools.
[5]
Gustav Aulén,
Christus Victor, Loc. 60. I only have the Kindle version, without page
numbers :/
[6] See The Politics of Yahweh: John Howard Yoder, the Old Testament, and the People of God, by John Nugent. Within, Nugent articulates Yoder’s OT theology and rectifies it. See also Endangered Gospel by John Nugent. It has challenged me to the core about what it means to live the Gospel
On how we should approach Yoder after sexual violence, See “Reflections
from a chagrined “Yoderian” in face of his alleged sexual violence” by anabaptist
theologian Ted Grimsrud, https://peacetheology.net/2013/12/07/reflections-from-a-chagrined-yoderian-in-face-of-his-alleged-sexual-violence/.
Another one of my favorite professors also did her Master's thesis on the nonviolence beyond Yoder's ecclesiology.
[7] “The
Meaning of the Cross” in Radical Christian Discipleship, edited by John
C Nugent, Andy Alexis-Baker, and Branson Parler.
[8] “The
Meaning of the Cross”, 135, 137, 139. Italics added.
[9] Ted
Grimsrud, Instead of Atonement: The Bible’s Salvation Story and Our Hope for
Wholeness, Loc 2348, Chapter 4. Italics added. Again, I only have the
Kindle version :/
[10] See
Instead of Atonement, Loc 469-489, Chapter 1.
[11] Instead
of Atonement, Loc 481, Chapter 1.
[12] Instead
of Atonement, Loc 2224, Chapter 4.
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