On non-physical violence

Jesus spoke strongly against human violence. Not only did he speak against it, but he acted against it. And we think of his “turn the other cheek”, and there’s a lot of well-known teachings of Jesus against violence. But I’d like to mention one other aspect of his push against violence, and that has to do with respecting people that didn’t get respect in the ancient world.

So I’m thinking of, for example, one of his disciples – a female disciple – during a dinner gets up and anoints his feet. It’s Mary of Bethany, and she does this. And the other disciples mock her. They just yell at her, they scold her, publicly. Which is very humiliating at that time. Well, really, at any time! And Jesus steps up and rebukes them. So Jesus was against physical violence, but I would say also he’s against that kind of social violence that taunts, or makes certain people feel low, or unwelcome. He speaks against that, too.