Jesus and Muhammad: Persecution, the sword, and their kingdoms

There are many parallels between the lives of Jesus and Muhammad. Both were persecuted, both had the opportunity to use the sword, and both established kingdoms. The Bible and Koran record how these two men responded to the different situations.

When they were persecuted:

Jesus said: "turn the other cheek ... love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you". (Matthew 5:39, 44)

Muhammad said, "fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah (Qur'an 8:39)".

When they had the opportunity to use the sword:

Jesus said: "put back your sword in its place ... for all who draw the sword will die by the sword." (Matthew 26:52)

Muhammad said: "Believers (Muslims), why is it that when you are told: "March in the
cause of Allah," you linger slothfully in the land? Are you content with this life in preference to the life to come? Few indeed are the blessings of this life, compared with those of the life to come. If you do not go to war, He (Allah) will punish you sternly ... Whether unarmed or well-equipped, march on and fight for the cause of Allah, with your wealth and with your persons." (Qur'an 9:38-41)

When they had established their kingdoms:

Jesus said: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). "This is what is written (in the prophets): The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name" (Luke 24:46-47).

Muhammad said: "Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that
forbidden(1) which has been forbidden by Allah and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the
religion of Truth(2), (even if they are) of the People of the Book(3), until they pay the
Jizya(4) with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued." (Qur'an 9:29)

Are all religions the same?

“Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."”
(BEFORE PILATE, John 18:11, 36)

Muhammad said,
“He it is who has sent forth His Apostle with the [task of spreading] guidance and the religion of truth, to the end that He may cause it to prevail over all [false] religion – however hateful this may be to those who ascribe divinity to aught beside God.

“Go forth to war, whether it be easy or difficult [for you], and strive hard in God's cause with your possessions and your lives: this is for your own good – if you but knew it!”
(MEDINA PERIOD, Qu'ran 9:33, 41)

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(1) E.g. pork
(2) Islam
(3) Jews and Christians
(4) An additional tax on non-Muslims who are conquered by Muslims

(NB. Not all Korans have the same verse numbering system).

Jesus loves sinners: Mark Driscoll

This sermon by Mark Driscoll put me under a high beam. In Luke 5:27-32, Jesus pursues Levi - a guy despised in his day. Driscoll describes Jesus as a missionary coming into human history and culture and loving sinners and bringing them to God.

Mission is Jesus coming to sinners and mission is exactly what we are called to, exactly where we are. Consequently hospitality is a fundamental part of Christianity: Jesus comes to hang out with sinners like us.

Do we welcome the people that Jesus welcomes? Are we a church that will always have doors and arms right open to anyone and everyone? The challenge is that our homes would be open, that our lives would be open, that our schedules and budgets would be open, that we would welcome sinners and that we also would be changed so that by being in community with them we might be saved from our own proclivity toward religiosity.

Driscoll ends with these words:

"... To the drunks, the addicts, the perverts, the victims, the porn stars, the prostitutes, the adulterers, theives, the obese gluttons who think a waste is a terrible thing to mind, the twilight fans, the murderers, the mommy's boys, the losers, the freaks, the geeks, people who think wrestling is real, red knecks, guys who own action figures, chain smokers, everyone who does not use a turn signal while texting and talking on the phone in their car, men who live with their mothers, women who get paid in dollar bills, dudes in dresses (seen it at Mars Hill), democrats, republicans, the guys at the gym who walk around the locker room naked singing Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer, mormons and anyone else who wears sacred under breeches, whoever is responsible for the creation and ongoing sale of men's Lycra biking shorts... yoga instructors, witches, pot heads, meat heads, crack heads, dead heads and meth heads... people who don't recycle, the rainbow-loving tree-hugging ... lefters, and religious people who do not know what I am talking about because these subjects were not on The Little House on the Prairie or covered in their Home School co-op,

-- I have good news for you: You are welcome at Mars Hill. Jesus loves you. You'll fit right in. And because He died for your sins, you get to repent."