matt

This is exactly why Paul writes that the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. Sometimes I try to imagine how fatal a mistake it would have been if God had given Israel the warrior-king messiah they desperately wanted. That would have been the most amateur move in history. Jesus would have been one of many strong men, and strong men are the most perishable thing on earth. Strength intrinsically depreciates. Every generation redefines it upward. Improved technology means faster and cheaper ways to kill more people, and there will always be someone more powerful coming behind you. The power model has a ceiling. It always has. God chose differently. Jesus did not conquer by force. He was executed by the people with the force. And 2000 years later he is still being followed. His teachings still shape ethics, civilization, and the moral imagination of billions of us. He stands in a class of his own not in spite of the non-violence but precisely cos of it. Juxtapose him against the most vicious warlord in recorded history and he stands out. Juxtapose him against the most peaceful statesman alive today and he still stands out. Nothing touches him on either end of the spectrum. Durant who Bibi quotes was describing history, not eternity. Jesus said the meek shall inherit the earth and in doing so he was revealing a logic that runs deeper than any military strategy. The cross looked like defeat and foolishness to everyone watching. But in reality it was the most decisive victory ever recorded. God is amazing in his wisdom!