Should we pray for Putin’s death?
Am I justified in praying that Vladimir Putin would be the victim of his own violence? ~ Jonathan Smith
I’m commandeering the Files this week to clarify my comments during last Sunday’s sermon regarding praying for Putin’s death. Sometimes the written word is capable of more clarity than the preached word, so let me be clear:
I am not praying that God will kill Putin. The span of a man’s life is already in the hands of the Sovereign Lord. Putin will live as long as God wills, and not a moment more.
I am not praying for Putin’s murder. Praying for something that contradicts God’s revealed will, “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), would be foolish.
My Prayer
I am praying that what Jesus said to Peter on the night he was betrayed would prove to be both true and imminent: “Put your sword back in its place…for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.”
Vladimir Putin has determined that he will live by the sword. Violence begets violence. My prayer is that the violence he has summoned would turn back on him and consume him.
My prayer is is the prayer of Psalm 7:
See, the wicked one is pregnant with evil,
conceives trouble, and gives birth to deceit.
He dug a pit and hollowed it out
but fell into the hole he had made.
His trouble comes back on his own head;
his own violence comes down on top of his head.
My Error
The error I made in preaching this point was a fairly common one among Bible teachers. The statement on Putin was only meant to serve as an illustration of the main point of the sermon, namely, that God uses evil (the death of Jesus) to overcome evil (Satan and sin).
The error is made when the illustration is more memorable than the point it is illustrating. I fear that was the case on Sunday.
So let me correct this by reminding you of the main point:
The crucifixion of Jesus was the most evil, most sinister, most sinful act ever committed. The innocent, incarnate Son of God was betrayed and executed. And yet! God turned the weapons of evil back on themselves and used the power of evil to overcome evil.
Love, JS
