Jesus Christ was a man of love and peace: Why do so many ignore those words today in America and in the world?


The Prince of Peace who spoke of love


… “Love thy neighbor as thyself”


Jesus Christ made clear how important human life is to those who follow God. To understand how important love and peace are to Jesus, I went to “The Beatitudes Center for the Nonviolent Jesus.”


Yes, Jesus was the Prince of Peace. God and the angels made that clear when he was born, but calling him the gift to all of us who seek peace in our lives and on earth. 


Indeed, in Jesus’s ministry, Jesus said this in perhaps the greatest speak ever made in human history,


“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9)


The war-mongers and lovers of violence


Yet, America is filled with war-mongers and lovers of gun violence who destroy life both in our country and throughout the world. Just look at those who are complaining about a president who has ended a 20-year war that no one can say why we were fighting it. 


Amazing how so many of those people in America who stand up and call themselves “pro-life.” Standing up for a fetus which is not a human life is much different from standing up for those of us who have a soul. 


How did Jesus condemn violence?


The way in which Jesus Christ expressed his love of peace was clear in so many ways. And all of it is tied to love,


When Jesus called us to practice universal love, he also called us to renounce all forms of violence. 


“Love God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength,” he said, “and your neighbor as yourself.” 


Then he went further, and commanded us even to “love your enemies,” “to love as I have loved you.”


At the same time, he declared, “Those who live by the sword will die by the sword.” 


And so, when Peter tried to kill one of the Roman soldiers to “defend” Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus ordered Peter to put down the sword. Peter must have been shocked. For years, he was studying nonviolence with the master, but when push came to shove, he was ready to kill. With this commandment, “Put down the sword,” Peter and the gang finally understand just how nonviolent Jesus is. What did they do? They all ran away.


Today, through the teachings of Gandhi and Dr. King, we use this clumsy word “nonviolence” to understand this call of Jesus to universal love and active peacemaking. It means we are not allowed to hurt anyone or ourselves, to kill anyone, or to support killing, warfare or violence in any form. In fact, as people of universal nonviolent love, like Jesus, we try to give our lives nonviolently to stop the violence and the killing.


Father John Dear, “Christ’s Peace,” Beatitudes of nonviolence.” 



Jesus used metaphorical language


What so many do not understand is that Jesus spoke so often in metaphorical language. As such, we have to look at the context of everything he said. 


Some look to one time that he spoke of a “sword” and say that he was advocating violence. However, he was speaking metaphorically,


The second mention of peace in Matthew 10 relates to persecution and suffering brought about because of fruitful evangelism: "Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law – a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:34-38 NIV).


“Did Jesus come to bring peace or a sword?” Peace Catalyst.


What Jesus means is that he is going to fight against those who do not believe in God, those who will not follow his words and those of his father. 


He is not advocating war or fighting. He is advocating fighting metaphorically for faith in God. 


The words of peace and love are the ones that we should follow in life. Yet, so many who claim to be Christians see 25 thousand people die from violent gun violence and do nothing. They see a 20-year war end and want to continue it because the weapons manufacturers are their financial supporters. 


As Father Dear says, Jesus asked us to practice universal love, and that is what we must do as Christians.


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