Dear friends:

Military veterans in the New Testament?

Many people do not realize that there are military veterans mentioned in the New Testament, and in a very positive light.  They were not castigated, as some modern-day anti-American universities do our honorable military recruiters and ROTC students.

On this Veteran's Day observance, let us take a look at them.

1.  Jesus' encounter.  Jesus told a Roman army officer that He had not found anyone with such great faith in all of Israel!  What an incredible statement!

Matthew 8 and elsewhere records that when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a Roman army officer came to him, asking for help. He said, "Lord, my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering.”

 Jesus replied, “I will go and heal him.”  (Jesus did not say, "Well, we can ask, but I'm not sure it is the Father's will to heal.")

The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, “I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith!  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! It will be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Jesus did not say, "Now, you war monger, repent and get out of the army.  Get a civilian job."

2.  The first Gentile convert.   Acts chapter 10 records that at Caesarea there was another Roman army officer, named Cornelius, in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”  Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.  The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.   Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

The Lord also gave Peter a vision and directed him to Cornelius' house, where Cornelius had a crowd of relatives and friends gathered and waiting.  Peter began speaking.  The Scriptures record, "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God."

Can you imagine having Peter show up and start preaching at your home group meeting, with everyone suddenly speaking in tongues and praising God?  Anyhow, Peter did not add, "Now, you war monger, this praise meeting is nice, but you need to repent and get out of the army.  Get a civilian job."

3.  John the Baptist's encounter.  In Luke chapter 3, John the Baptist was preaching righteousness and different people asked him, 'What shall we do?"

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” John simply replied, “Don’t extort money and don’t accuse people falsely -- be content with your pay.”

That's all he said!  He did not say, "Now, you war mongers, repent and get out of the army.  Get a civilian job."

CONCLUSION:

Jesus, John the Baptist and Peter knew about the professions of these men.  They knew they were professional soldiers, whose profession was war.  Unlike the usually benevolent American army, they knew the Roman army was especially brutal, and that Rome was an imperial nation.  But they did not demean these men or their professions.  They seemed to accept them as a normal part of society.

The above just represents the New Testament.  The Old Testament has many positive references to righteous "warriors," such as to Gideon and David.  An angel even said to Gideon, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior” (Isaiah 5:12). 

There are also some dramatic examples of God and angels being with the Israeli army and manifesting miracle protection and victory during Israel's wars since 1948, as well as General George Washington's successes against all odds during the Revolutionary War.

Today, let us thank God again for our modern veterans, and also for those mentioned in the Bible.

Jim