Following Jesus’ Example This Holy Week

A reminder to resist evil with good

An important element of the liturgy of Palm Sunday is that part of our response to the Passion of Christ should be to “follow the example of his great humility” as the Collect (a formal prayer) for Palm Sunday says.  We are then immediately reminded again of this in the Epistle reading from Philippians 2:5-11.

This is part of why the liturgy for Palm Sunday can be rather unpleasant.  It’s one thing to wave around palms.  It’s one thing to trust in Christ’s death on the cross for us, as I do.  Following his example, taking up our cross and following him in humility is a more difficult calling, to say the least.

And Jesus’ example of humility is non-violent.  Yes, he did throw over the tables of the moneychangers and drove them out of the Temple.  Yes, when he returns, he will not be so gentle with his enemies but will slay the “armies gathered to make war against Him.” (Rev. 19:19-21) But the former is exceptional and the latter is in the future.  In the meantime, he is merciful and patient — far more than I am.  (God help certain people if I had the authority to smote.)

Even in his Passion, he was non-violent.  If he ever had good reason for violent resistance, it was then.  But when Peter cut off the ear of one in the arrest party, he healed the ear and told Peter, “Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?” (Matt 26:52-54)

Instead, while suffering on the cross, he forgave those who crucified him and gave forgiveness and assurance to a thief who might have been mocking him a short time before.

I am pointing the non-violent example of Jesus not only because we just observed Palm Sunday and it is now Holy Week, but because last week was so awful and, well, enraging.

The mass murder at a Christian school by a transgender followed by the chattering classes and the Biden Regime showing far more concern for transgenders than for Christians even as transgender activists threatened more violence followed by the conveniently leaked news of Trump’s indictment — it was an enraging week indeed.

But it is not the first time the woke and the Democrat/RINO establishment have committed outrages, and it won’t be the last.  What is more remarkable is how resistance to those predatory actors has remained peaceful even in the midst of so many provocations.

The resistance needs to remain peaceful.

I know not all my readers are Christians so I remind all, as I and others like Doug Wilson have before, that violent reaction plays into the hands of the totalitarians and totalitarian adjacent.  Look how they have shamelessly made such hay out of January 6th.

I also remind that peaceful options remain in abundance. I am no pacifist, but I do contend that violence is justified only when peaceful options are exhausted, if even then.   And we still have somewhat free elections, and the prospects for Democrats in 2024 are not exactly sunny.  There is an ongoing revival of free speech.  More and more in society are finding their voice against the outrages of the woke and the globalists, including more from the Left.  Notice how some who once were adversaries are now allies, such as Matt Taibbi, Naomi Wolf, and Russell Brand. (Brand in particular used to annoy the heck out of me, but I listen to him gladly now.)

The tide may be turning against the woke and the globalist.  So be smart and let them be the bad guys.  Don’t be foolish and become the bad guys.  Don’t give them propaganda opportunities as a small minority at the January 6th protests did.  Expose their evil; don’t become evil yourselves.  Fight evil not with evil, but with good and light.  That is not only Christian teaching, it is smart strategy.

Still, for us Christians, there is the overriding priority of following “the example of his great humility” and peacefully taking up our crosses and following Him.  Those crosses include enduring unjust outrages and resisting evil in a peaceful manner.  No, that’s not easy.  Being Christian men and women is not supposed to be easy.

So, with the times trying our endurance and our patience and, yes, our love, both last week and Holy Week bring home the importance of following the peaceful example of Jesus.