Jesus Encouraged Martyrdom
Jesus encouraged martyrdom (Matthew 10: 39; 16: 25; Mark 8: 35 )
Matthew 10: 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it.
Mark 8: 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
Then Jesus said that the whole world is useless if one loses his life (Mark 8: 36-37).
Mark 8: 36 For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
Mark 8: 37 For what can a man give in return for his life?
The word “What does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” sounds profound. But the word “If one loses his life for Jesus’ sake he would find life” does not sound sober. Jesus’ word is to encourage followers’ sacrifice/martyrdom for Jesus’ power and honor.
If one becomes the warrior of Jesus, it becomes the disaster of other men who do not worship Jesus. One’s martyrdom is other men’s disaster. Christians’ Crusades were the disaster for non-Christians. Jesus’ logic was basically the same as that of Osama bin Laden. “One who dies for the honor of Allah would find his life.”
Why martyrdom is necessary for Jesus who, according to Christian theology, was/is God? Why in the world the immortal and all-powerful God needs the martyrdom and sacrifice of mortal humans each of which has only one life? It is the upside down policy. Is the job of Jesus or God to protect the lives of humans who are incomparably weak and vulnerable?
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il orders his people to become “guns and bullets” to protect his life and honor against imminent invasion of the US devils (imperialists) and South Korean puppet army.
Both Jesus and Kim are the same in the point that their primary teaching is to let his followers think their lives are more important than all the lives of others.
The only difference between Jesus’ policy and that of Kim is the scale; Kim thinks that his life is more important than the lives of whole North Korean people whereas Jesus or Christians think that Jesus’ life and honor is incomparably more important than the lives of whole humanity.
According to Christian theology, the martyrdom for Jesus is the surest ticket to the kingdom of Jesus. How many naïve humans have earned the tickets to heaven?
I think Jesus has killed innumerable souls and bodies of humans, and misled priests are the accomplice. I think those who worship Jesus as the creator of the Universe are sinners and dead persons. Their souls are sold to the king of lies.