Violence (fierceness, forcefulness, cruelty, bloodshed, savagery, hostility) by definition is an action which we hope to avoid. We should never be the source of violence nor do we wish to ever be the object of violence. Unfortunately, as a nation, we are witnessing an onslaught of violence every day and it is heartbreaking! Within mankind we find the source of violence and yet many are trying to shift the blame to other sources. No one becomes violent until the heart of man makes a decision to be violent and cruel. When the decision is made to be cruel then the weapon of brutality is chosen.
In the Book of Genesis we find the first two brothers, Cain and Able, and Cain was not pleased with God’s acceptance of Abel’s worship and not his own. Then the Bible tells us that the two talked, but the Bible tells us that before they talked Cain was not in a good mood. The next thing we are told is that Cain “rose up against Abel” and slew (killed, eliminated, murdered) him. No weapon is mentioned but whatever Cain used, even if it was his own hands, this violent acted found its roots in the heart of Cain.
A lawyer asked Jesus a question one day, “Master, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered him with these words, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matt. 22:36-40. Is there any credibility to what Jesus said, “I THINK SO!”
Some have said we need a government that will provide for all its citizens a certain standard of living and that will solve all the violence. I would say to them that there was no greater standard of living than what Cain, Abel, and their parents, had to enjoy in God’s creation. Years ago someone said, “We need to put a new coat on every man and God said, I want to be a new man in every coat.”
Could we find a source for so much unrest in our society in the latest survey that pointed out that for the first time less than 50% of Americans attend church. You remember Jesus said the first thing in loving your neighbor was to love God with your total being. To many Americans have no time for the Lord and are sowing seeds to the flesh and the harvest is corruption (dishonesty, depravity, immorality, vice, harm).
SEE YOU SOON – BRO. ED