Who would Jesus bomb?

That question, of course, is meant less literally than morally.

To answer it, we must first understand who Jesus Christ was—the revered preacher, teacher, radical, prophet and (to those of us who follow Him) the Son of God—born into a police state not unlike the growing menace of America’s own police state. Born into a world at war. A multilayered government including the Judean Sanhedrin, a semi-constitutional monarchy (the Herodian client kings/tetrarchs), and an empire pretending to still be a republic. Does that sound familiar?

When He came of age (the Hebrews of His day did not consider a man to be a full adult until age 30), Jesus had powerful, profound things to say, about justice, power and how we are to relate to one another. “Blessed are the merciful,” “Blessed are the peacemakers,” “Love your enemies.” He did this in the context of the ancient covenant between the Creator and the people of Israel, but made it clear that it was part of a new covenant that was available to all humans, regardless of their heritage.

A revolutionary in both spirit and action, Jesus not only died challenging the police state of his day—the Roman Empire and its lesser governments —but left behind a blueprint for resisting tyranny that has guided countless reformers and freedom fighters ever since. Even when corrupted by those seeking power for themselves and others, or seeking to wrongly impose burdens on others, this made an unimaginable impact (for good) on billions of people. Good far greater than the negative results of the perversion of His message and the failure to understand and carry out what He commanded His followers to do.

Our own (libertarian) vaunted principle of Zero Aggression is a mere restatement and limited application of His words, “Do unto others what you wish others to do unto you.”

Far from the sanitized, domesticated figure presented in modern churches, the Messiah challenged human authority at every opportunity. He was a radical nonconformist. He spoke truth to power, defied political and religious hierarchies, and exposed the hypocrisy of empire. Not just of empire but of all forms of human government, including those in which the power of the state is entwined with religious hierarchies and organizations. Yes, even republics and especially democracies, as well as dictatorships, monarchies, oligarchies, and political bosses.

Jesus rejected politics as a means to salvation. For Him, faith was not about seizing power but serving others (you shall know their faith by their works, as His brother James later wrote) —helping the poor, showing mercy even to enemies, and embodying peace, not war. He did not seek political favor or influence; He actively undermined it. Indeed, He rejected (centuries before it was proposed) the idea of a “social gospel” which first sought to provide “adequate” food and shelter and medical care, so that the people would be amenable to hearing His message and following Him. Nor did He teach that it was right for politicians to force people under their control so that the money could be handed out to the poor, to enemies (or even friends), and to buy peace (much less pay for war).

That is not to say He was passive. Jesus knew righteous anger. He turned over the tables of the money changers in the Temple because they had turned faith into profit and worship into spectacle. Yet many of those today who claim to believe in Him, believe Him, and follow Him still do that. They claim and get millions of followers of them (thinking they are following Him) to pervert worship of the Most High, converting proclamation of God and service to Him into rituals and elaborate temples and lavishly-paid (and wealthy) “priests” that are contrary to all He taught.

Yet even in anger, He refused to wield violence as a tool of redemption. When His own arrest approached, He rebuked His followers: “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.” He did not tell His followers not to defend themselves or the poor or innocent, but that some things (like His suffering and death) had important reasons that meant self-defense and defense of others had to be waived.

The Beatitudes summarize His message: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”  Peace between God and men – individuals – leads to peace between people. And when asked to name the greatest commandment, He answered simply: to love God with all one’s being and to love one’s neighbor as oneself. He stated that all the Law (Old Law of Moses) and His own (new covenant) in what we call the New Testament came from those two commands. Our every action should be guided by these two essential, foundational principles. Including our economic, social, and political actions.

In other words, we love God (and show we love Him) by loving our fellow human beings.

Jesus—the “Prince of Peace”—came not to destroy life but to restore it. Yet, just as human government came into existence in rebellion against His Father, so it continues today to pervert and break the commands of the Creator of all, destroying life and supporting, permitting, or carrying out acts to harm, abuse, and enslave others.

We must, ultimately, echo the words of Simon Peter, Jesus’ apostle, speaking to the rulers of his people: “We must obey God rather than man.” If we want to be free. The choice is ours.