Trump and Economics in the Gospels - Peace & War; Arms & Sharp Objects

As we approach the election we thought we would complete this series on Trump and Economics in the Gospels first begun in 2017.

President Trump is given high marks by his supporters for keeping America out of any new wars and overseeing the defeat of Isis. He is also credited with overseeing an increase in military spending and broadening peace between Israel and the Arab world.

Christ never commanded any legions though that was apparently by choice.
 
Matthew 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now.

Paradoxically the “Prince of Peace” said that He wasn’t here to bring peace at all. Can we see Trump in the following?
 
Luke 12:51 Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 12:52 For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. 12:53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Obviously, an arms industry was vital to the expanse and defense of the Pax Romana in Christ’s time, requiring the outfitting of armed forces throughout the empire. Not so different for the realms of today; and, as in Roman times, we find the use of shackles and chains to subdue the furious and violent.
 
Mark 5:4 For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him.

Trump’s time will be stained by the use of clubs and armor to quell social unrest, swelling the Black Lives Matter movement.  
 
Mark 14:43 Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders 14:47 One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. 14:48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?

Christ would not only have been familiar with such scenes, but the cause of them. “Good Trouble” perhaps in the words of John Lewis, an enduring presence in society’s search for elusive peace at home in Trump’s time.

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Arms and Sharp Objects

Obviously, an arms industry was prevalent for the defense of the Pax Romana in Christ’s time requiring the outfitting of armed forces throughout the empire.
Trump presumably would have approved as he is known for an increase in defense spending during his Presidency.

On the downside, we see in Trump’s time an unfortunate increase in the use of clubs and armor to quell social unrest.

Basic weapons and other potentially violent objects are given their own little section of this book.  There really aren’t a lot of mentions given the violent scenes that pepper the Gospel texts, though well represented they are.  How else could it be in a depiction of Roman times – or our own today? 

Interestingly there are no mentions of knives.


Chains (4) and Shackles (3)
As today, chains are often used to subdue the violent.
 
Mark 5:4 For his hands and feet had often been bound with chains and shackles, but he had torn the chains apart and broken the shackles in pieces. No one was strong enough to subdue him.


Armor
Just once is armor mentioned.
 
Luke 11:22 But when a stronger man attacks and conquers him, he takes away the first man’s armor on which the man relied and divides up his plunder.


Ax (2)
Several tools still in use today are mentioned.
 
Matthew 3:10 Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.


Swords (18)
The sword is oft mentioned in the Gospels both literally and figuratively.
 
Luke 2:35 Indeed, as a result of him the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed – and a sword will pierce your own soul as well!”
 
Luke 21:24 They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away as captives among all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
 
Luke 22:38 So they said, “Look, Lord, here are two swords.” Then he told them, “It is enough.”
 
Luke 22:49 When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?”


Clubs (5)
Another standard tool of violence is represented…
 
Mark 14:43 Right away, while Jesus was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived. With him came a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent by the chief priests and experts in the law and elders 14:47 One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear. 14:48 Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?


Spear
And the spear…
 
John 19:34 But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and blood and water flowed out immediately.

Cross (7)
It would seem that, in Roman times, there must have been a thriving business in cross making.  One might assume carpenters made them – a rather bitter irony perhaps, given Jesus’ presumed profession.
 
Matthew 27:32 As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross.
 
John 19:19 Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.” 

Peace and War

President Trump is given high marks by his supporters for keeping America out of any new wars and overseeing the defeat of Isis. He is also credited with overseeing an increase in military spending.

Christ of course never commanded any armies in the Gospel accounts - and contrary to the “Prince of Peace” moniker told us that he wasn’t here to bring peace at all.

War and Peace are the ultimate determinants of economic success in the most fundamental ways of all.  For instance, in the post WW II era America was preeminent, and is largely still, due to its escaping the destruction to its plant that most of its international competitors did not.

In the Gospels’ time there existed the Pax Romana and peace reigned.  Economic activity also appears to have flourished and the Gospels seem to demonstrate a certain prosperity.   Nowhere in the Gospels is there a mention of widespread hunger or even homelessness.  People seem to have had what they needed and a socio-economic order appears to have existed which feels largely familiar to us today in many ways.

Much talk of peace is evident in the writings; the preceding chapters show a substantial portion of the economic output went into the standing army, weapons, etc.

But peace is a complicated subject in the Gospels – and in our modern culture’s commonly held views of what the Gospels have to say on the subject.  For instance, Jesus is commonly depicted as the “Prince of Peace”…
 
Mark 5:34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Intriguingly though he often speaks of how he is not here to bring peace at all...
 
Matthew 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
 
Luke 12:51 Do you think I have come to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 12:52 For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. 12:53 They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”

Can we see an element of Trump in these passages?

Live by the sword, die by the sword
In this most famous passage, Jesus admonishes his defender…
 
Matthew 26:52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword.

Peace (25)
The following passages start off peaceably enough…
 
Luke 19:37 As he approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen: 19:38 “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 19:39 But some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 19:40 He answered, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the very stones will cry out!”

But it gets ugly…
 
Luke 19:41 Now when Jesus approached and saw the city, he wept over it, 19:42 saying, “If you had only known on this day, even you, the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. 19:43 For the days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and surround you and close in on you from every side. 19:44 They will demolish you – you and your children within your walls – and they will not leave within you one stone on top of another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.”

And here he gives a view of how complicated things are, and would be - the words are enigmatic…
 
John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have trouble and suffering, but take courage – I have conquered the world.”

After the resurrection Jesus returns and offers his disciples peace before he sends them out into the world…it’s tough out there apparently.
 
John 20:19 On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the disciples had gathered together and locked the doors of the place because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20:20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. 20:21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. Just as the Father has sent me, I also send you.”


Wars (5)
Wars are rarely cited in the Gospels aside from depictions of the end times…
 
Mark 13:7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. These things must happen, but the end is still to come. 13:8 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines. These are but the beginning of birth pains.
 
Luke 14:31 Or what king, going out to confront another king in battle, will not sit down first and determine whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 14:32 If he cannot succeed, he will send a representative while the other is still a long way off and ask for terms of peace. 14:33 In the same way therefore not one of you can be my disciple if he does not renounce all his own possessions.

Armies (2)
Armies are rarely mentioned in the Gospels - once in metaphysical terms to herald Jesus’ arrival as a baby…
 
Luke 2:13 Suddenly a vast, heavenly army appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people with whom he is pleased!”

An actual, physical army is mentioned once…
 
Luke 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.

Legions

Legions are mentioned but once…
 
Matthew 26:53 Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now.