Mastering the Art of Self-Defense as Jesus Taught It

It is helpful to understand the framework through which we pass rather than pass through it in ignorance of it. By locating ourselves within our framework, we can orient ourselves against it. We can align ourselves. We can find our place. We can catch our bearings. We can better navigate the journey when the stars are visible in the sky than when clouds obscure them.

We put ourselves into a dire predicament from which we want to escape. As we make our escape through the hostile desert of loveless godlessness (Exodus 13: 17-18), across the Red Sea of death (1 Corinthians 15:26), over the finish line (2 Timothy 4:7) and into the promised land (Numbers 13:27), a gauntlet of monsters besieges us. In short, the framework through which we pass is a hostile world. Evil continually harasses us. As we proceed, our person, our property and the love that occupies the reservoirs of our hearts are at risk of grievous harm.

We want to be rescued. However, our conception of rescue is different than God's conception of rescue (Isaiah 55:8-9). There is a misunderstanding. We want God to rescue us. God, however, wants us to rescue ourselves. We want God to transform the loveless desert of godlessness into a kinder, gentler and more hospitable place for godless people to live. God, however, is not interested in making godlessness a better, more hospitable place for godless people to live. God wants to transform godless people into People of God. For this to happen, the children of Adam and Eve must take responsibility for their own salvation. God will not carry us to our salvation. God provides the ladder. We must climb the ladder of salvation that God provides ourselves. We must work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).

Our God neither created our dire predicament nor has done anything to aggravate it. In fact, he has taken multiple measures to mitigate it.

One measure that our God has taken to mitigate our dire predicament in the Valley of Tears is that he dispatched Jesus from heaven to teach the children of Adam and Eve the art of self-defense.

Jesus demonstrated that the art of self-defense works by using it himself in his battle with the monster of the Crucifixion. He led by example. He donned the jet pack and flew to show us that we, too, can fly. What a crazy daredevil this Jesus was!

The monster of the Crucifixion offered Jesus a demotion. Jesus refused the monster's offer. He declined a reduction in his dignity. The monster wanted to reduce Jesus from the level of our loving God to the level of the loveless beasts who scavenge for scraps in cutthroat competition with the other loveless beasts among the ruins of Eden. The monster of the Crucifixion tried to kill God's love for us. It tried to poke a hole in Jesus’ most Sacred Heart to drain it of God’s prodigious love for us. It failed. Its failure was utter, abject and total. From the scabbard of his prodigious love for us, Jesus drew the sharp sword of sweet forgiveness (Matthew 10:34) to slay the monster of the Crucifixion. Forgiveness killed the monster dead (Jeremiah 31:31-34) (Luke 23:34) (Acts 10:43) (Matthew 6:12) (Matthew 18:21-35 (Luke 7:47) (Matthew 5:45). Jesus clung to his love for us, held tight and refused to let go. His most Sacred Heart stayed filled to the brim with love for us. Jesus hung from his Cross to teach us how to hang from our crosses. Therefore, when we hang as Jesus hung, let us cling as Jesus clung, hold tight and refuse to let go - of love.

Love is at stake as we make our escape through our dire predicament in the Valley of Tears. We must choose: the life of the loveless beast or the life of our loving God. According to Jesus, love, not person or property, is the only thing worthy of conservation.

Practicing the art of self-defense that Jesus demonstrated in the battle of the Crucifixion serves our self-interest. Love is the grease that lubricates the wheels of our escape through the hostile desert of godlessness. Life without love is salt without flavor (Matthew 5:13). Love is life in abundance (John 10:10). Love embellishes life. Love is the treasure.

Mastering the martial art of love as Jesus taught it is one method of mitigation that God gives us.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another“ (John 13:35) (Matthew 22:36-40) (1 John 4: 7-12).