lamb’s war

This is an excerpt of a keynote address given by T. Canby Jones at Friends United Meeting Triennial in 2005

….Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:43-45) lays this command on all of us: “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.” (NRSV)

If we are committed to the Lamb’s War and engaged in nonviolent force, Jesus’ command to love enemies is an inescapable demand on us. However difficult, this command is a must! If we can­not practice reconciling love toward enemies, we not only are not fit to engage in the Lamb’s War, but we are also not worthy of experiencing his transforming presence and power in our lives.

I must bear personal witness to the fact that just as the act of forgiveness is a gift of sheer grace so is the act of loving our enemies. I find it extremely hard to practice such love. I am tender toward those who try but fail at it. By the same token, I am jubilant and my faith in the Lamb’s War is confirmed when I observe someone actually loving an enemy or an oppressor.

It is well to remember in such difficult circumstances that Jesus has promised he will not lay on us such heavy burdens or tasks without giving us the grace and strength to carry them out.

Two scriptures from the Old Testament set conditions for fighting the Lamb’s War. In Exodus 14:13-14, Pharaoh’s army is depicted as bearing down on the panicked children of Israel staring at the impassible Red Sea in front of them.

God’s words through Moses on that occasion are a real challenge to faith: “Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, stand firm…for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again. The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.’” (NRSV) With that, Moses raised his staff over the sea, the waters parted and the people safely crossed!

Moses’ faith at that point is amazing! The willingness of the people to believe and act on those words is also amazing! To be faithful to the Lamb and his challenges requires similar faith.

In Micah 6:8, the prophet asks: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (NRSV)

In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul instructs us about the power of our spiritual weapons and their efficacy in destroying strongholds. In 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 he insists that “we do not wage war according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds.” (NRSV) Do we share with Paul his faith in the overcoming power of God?

In Ephesians 6, Paul calls us, as the Lamb’s warriors, to be strong in the Lord in the strength of his power and put on the divine armor of God, including the belt of truth, the breastplate of right­eousness, shoes that proclaim the power of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and, above all, the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God.

So equipped we can take on enemies of truth and faith, confident the Lamb shall have the victory. More important than all the defensive equipment recommended by Paul is the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. The Word of God is the Lord Christ himself! The Sword of the Spirit is his tongue and the words uttered by it that slay wickedness and establish the rule of righteousness in the earth.

It is well to remember the warning of George Fox about using material weapons versus those of the Spirit. He says: “Those who take up carnal weapons throw away the spiritual weapons!”

The power of the sword of the Spirit is made more explicit in Revelation 19:11-16. In that pas­sage we read: “Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war… From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron… On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” (NRSV)

Can we understand that this “Ride on King Jesus” figure is the same as God’s suffering servant who gave his life as a ransom for many? The suffering servant is powerfully described in Hebrews 5:8: “Son though he was, he learned obedience in the school of suffering, and once perfected, became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” (NEB)

We honor Jesus as king solely because he “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant…and being found in human form…he became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:7-11, RSV)

This is a moving description of the true nature of Jesus as King and as the Lamb of God who leads us in the struggle to win the world by emptying ourselves and demonstrating the love that wins through suffering.

….This irrepressible conflict on every level of human community will continue until God in his judgment brings an end to history through our victory with the conquering Lamb as our leader. The earth will then be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters cover the sea!

I was a student of T. Canby’s and came to know him when I was in my teens and went on a pilgrimage with with him.  I was his student assistant in the religion department while studying at Wilmington College.

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