Jesus’ Encounters Soldiers

The traits associated with soldiers in their encounter with Jesus influenced their categorization. Some key categories include instruction seekers, bribe takers, avengers, and the violent. The attribute of soldiers who seek instruction can be depicted from Matthew 26:47-56, Matthew 28:11-15, and Luke 3:14. In the latter passage, the soldiers approached John the Baptist seeking guidance on what they were to do, while in the other passage, the group that accompanied Judas during his betrayal followed the instructions from the chief priests and elders to arrest Jesus: Jesus’ Encounters Soldiers.

Subsequently, the soldiers in Matthew 26:47-56 and John 18:1-14 can be categorized as violent. The guards who accompanied Judas carried swords, lanterns, and weapons, which are tools often used in war. One of Jesus’ soldiers struck a high priest’s servant, cutting his ear, but Jesus condemned the act.

The words “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” portray the soldiers as avengers (New International Version, 2011, Matt. 5:38-42). The passage outlines a revengeful nature. However, Jesus calls for the people to avoid being resentful despite how they are treated. If someone slaps one of their cheeks, they should offer the other cheek rather than take revenge.

On the other hand, Matthew 28:11-15 depicts the character of bribery. The soldiers are bribe takers. They agreed to take a lump sum of money offered to them by the chief priests to spread untruthful information about the whereabouts of the body of Jesus. The soldiers followed the instructions and circulated the information.

In a particular passage, numerous traits can be depicted, aligning it with different categorizations. For instance, in Matthew 26:47-56, different aspects can be drawn, including instruction following and violence. Similarly, in Matthew 28:11-15, aspects of bribe taking and instruction following can be derived from the passage.

Reference

The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). (2011). Biblica. (Original work published 1984). https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

---

NO AI USE AT ALL:

Christian approaches to war and peace often highlight the teachings and practices of Jesus as an essential source. So what insight can be derived from Jesus’ various encounters with soldiers? How might we organize these encounters and draw distinctions among these passages?

For your initial post, look at the handout “Jesus Encounters Soldiers.” After reading through the passages, generate your own set of 2-4 groups that you would categorize these passages into. Write in your post what these groups are, how you came up with them, and which passages you put into them. Lastly, compare two of the passages that you put in separate groups and explain why you have put them where they are.