Roman Soldiers

On Sunday Pastor Jacob compared the Christian life to the life of a Roman soldier. Even though I probably heard this analogy several times before this time, it clicked! Before I talk about Roman soldiers, I want to say that I am so thankful I took Latin in high school. Though I often wish I took Spanish because it's spoken in most parts of the world, I'm extremely glad I took Latin. It really helped me learn about the Roman culture and thus, it has helped me understand the Bible times multiple times. Before taking Latin I did not understand who the Romans are and why they were so important during Jesus' time. The Jews were scared of the Romans, especially Caesar, but that meant nothing to me. Anyways, an "Aha!" moment came to me on Sunday when I had my Bible study. When the Bible talked about "legions" before I understood what a legion was, I was like "oh, okay" but after understanding that a legion consisted normally of 5,000 soldiers, it made so much more sense in context. For example in the end of Matthew when Jesus was arrested after Judas betrayed him, he told Peter "Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?" (Matthew 26:53-54). Before I would have read "twelve legions of angels" and skimmed through it, but then I thought about it. Twelve legions. A legion consists of 5,000 soldiers. Twelve legions of angels is 60,000 angels. Whoa. That shows the authority Jesus has! It also taught me that Jesus chose to die for us on the cross even though it was meant going through excruciating pain. Even though Jesus would be separated from God while he was on the cross bearing the sins of the whole entire world from the beginning and end of time, Jesus chose to obey God in order to fulfill the scriptures so that we can live and have everlasting life.

Continuing about the Roman soldiers, this is an excerpt of the requirements of a Roman soldier in from my Latin book:
"A young soldier should have alert eyes and should hold his head upright. The recruit should be broad- chested with powerful shoulders and brawny arms. His fingers should be long rather than short. He should not be pot-bellied or have a fat bottom. His calves and feet should not be flabby; instead they should be made entirely of tough sinew. The whole well-being of the Roman state depends on the kind of recruits you choose; so you must choose men who are outstanding not only in body but also in mind."

A Roman soldier was held at a high standard. In the same way, as Christians, we are held at a high standard. We need to be fit and ready in order to serve Jesus with everything we have as the Romans soldiers served Rome.

The Roman legions were extremely talented. They were not just soldiers. They were engineers, architects, carpenters, smiths, doctors, clerks, and accountants. After marching twenty miles a day while carrying 90 pounds worth of materials (dagger, shield, food, materials, etc.) they set up camp every evening and every morning they dissembled their whole camp. They left nothing behind. Seeing how diverse and talented the Romans were, it reminds me of the body of Christ. Following the analogy, we are all called to be soldiers for Christ. However we all have different talents. Some of us are engineers, some are architects, some are doctors, some are teachers, and the list continues! As the Romans utilized each person's talents to strengthen the group, I believe each person needs to do their part in the body of Christ to strengthen the group as a whole.

The Romans were highly successful during the time they reigned. They conquered most of the world. In the same way, we are called to be victorious in our lives. But don't be proud as the Romans were. (: Their domain was great, but like everything else in the world, it lasted only for a period of time. However our God's Kingdom reigns forever. Forever is a hard concept to grasp, but yes, God's dominion reigns forever.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). Keep sharpening your iron and use your sword to fight for God's Kingdom!