when jesus sends

in matthew 10 Jesus sends out his 12 disciples. they were to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven was here while healing the sick, raising the dead and freely giving.

in luke 10 Jesus sends out 72 disciples. They were to promote the peace of Christ, declaring the kingdom of heaven while also healing the sick.

in both of these stories Jesus' disciples are called to peaceably interacting with the people they meet. Luke makes it explicit: if you aren't welcome leave; there fate is God's domain not the disciples.

this sentiment is echoed when Jesus is taken in the garden in what would ultimately result in his crucifixtion. Peter draws a sword but Jesus disarms him and forbids it usage.

jumping to acts and pentecost and the various letters of paul and others we see disciples in and out of prisons and at some points stoned or crucified or killed. But violence by the disciples isn't something seen.

jumping to the end of the story in revelation at the prophecied end of all things Jesus shows up but he's already bloody (he was crucified by empire after all) and his sword is his tongue, the power of his word. That's what metaphorically pierces the hearts of men and changes things. Not a testostorone driven blood bath routing his enemies.

Jesus model was always incarnation and kenosis - emptying himself of power, identifying with those oppressed and conquered by the various forms of evil the world takes and overcoming through the liberative power of his word.

that all focuses on the new testament. it's a theme that holds in the old testament too. Jonah (the famous whale story) thought he was going to Ninevah to declare it's destruction and was thoroughly pissed when God stays his hand when the people Jonah considered to be beyond redemption renounced their evil ways.

there's an old testament prophecy evangelicals love where Isaiah falls before God and declares "Send me!" What was he being sent to do? To tell his people their hearts were hardening and it wasn't going to go well for them. So not being sent far away. to other lands. to kill conquer and destroy.

So why in (literal) hell is the department of defense advertising using Biblical prophecy? Jesus sends not to kill, conquer and destroy; he sends to proclaim his liberating kingdom, to see the sick healed and the dead raised, to see peace reign. Jesus sending is the polar opposite of the department of defense sending. Them using Isaiah as propoganda is nothing short of blasphemous idolatry. To borrow a phrase from Paul it's shit not Jesus (that's paraphrasing Phil 3:8 if you need the reference).