Confused Christians, that's what many of us are. On the one hand, the Bible says, "Seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:14). You've heard the passages. "Turn the other cheek." "Go the extra mile." "Love your enemies." OK, but on the other hand, we want our enemies and their malignant terrorist cells to pay. The thought has probably passed through all our minds that we ought to bomb "those people" off the face of the earth. Good thing that such thoughts of vengeance pass through our minds, not lodging in our souls, taking us down to the level of our hate-filled enemies.

Still we have a problem. A friend of mine in the U.S. House serves on an anti-terrorism committee (or is it a subcommittee or task force? Whatever, it's relevant now!) Some months ago when he heard a sermon about how people in this world ought to love one another, he asked me what good that will do when our enemies despise us to much that their goal is to kill us?

Some sorting is helpful. Another friend tells me that some New Yorkers are saying, "An eye for an eye and the whole world will go blind." They're referring to the famous passage in Exodus 21:23-25, "If there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." If you look at the context, you'll see that these punishments were directed to ancient Israel as a whole, how that nation was to administer justice to its individual citizens. The passage does not tell individual citizens how they should handle interpersonal problems.

Government is a divine institution that is supposed to protect us. It does that through the exercise of power. Government "is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer" (Romans 13:4).

Therefore, figuratively speaking, "an eye for an eye" is still the way the government should administer justice.

Our sorting is not done, obviously. What about all those "turn the cheek, walk the extra mile" Bible passages? As the government is a divine institution, so is the Church. Jesus said, "I will build my Church (Matthew 16:18). While the government operates with the sword, that is, with force, the church's greatest asset is the Gospel, the Good News of God's forgiveness and love for us sinners through His Son Jesus Christ. "In this way are imparted not bodily but eternal things and gifts, namely, eternal righteousness, the Holy Spirit, and eternal life" (Augsburg Confession XXVIII, 8). This comes to us as each of us trusts in the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the preaching of Christ" (Romans 10:14).

So now we've sorted things into two groupings, into two imaginary file folders. One is called the government, a divine institution that goes its business by force. The other, the Church, is also divine but does its soul work through the Gospel of Christ. Few things in life are easy, and our two helpful groupings still force each of us to think. The challenge is to know which of the two we're dealing with. When questions arise, we have to first ask ourselves, What file folder am I in?

If we don't ask that question, things get twisted, especially Bible passages. When people in the first century were using "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" to justify seeking revenge in their own personal relationships, Jesus did some "untwisting" in his Sermon on the Mount. "You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.' But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven," (Matthew 5:38-45).

Here's a test question. Was Jesus speaking to his followers as individuals or was he speaking to the government? Obviously, to individuals. You now have the basics to sort out what seems to be conflicting passages and sentiments. Not that it's always easy, since we are constantly dealing with both entities, church and state. But these two "file folders" do make it much easier to categorize and deal with all that is going on these days. "An eye for an eye and the whole world will go blind" is true at a personal level but it's not good advice for our government now.

"Seek peace and pursue it," wrote the psalmist. Jesus says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives" (John 14:27). The world does have a peace that it can offer us. We pray that our leaders will use force judiciously to pursue that worldly peace, "that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior" (1 Timothy 2:2-3). As the coming weeks unfold that pursuit of worldly peace, may you be comforted by that other fact, that God gives us individuals a peace for our deepest being, a peace that comforts and a peace to pursue in our personal relationships. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

September 24, 2001