By: Obed Pineda
Toward the latter part of the twelfth century, the dawn of feudalism in Japan had risen and a military government, called the shogunate, was set in place, where the warrior class sat at the top of society in an elaborate four-tiered caste system. Due to constant warfare and civil instability, the Japanese samurai quickly rose to prominence and were in high demand by the Japanese feudal lords (known as daimyos) who desperately required their special skill set for the protection of their wealth. However, what made the samurai extremely valuable to the daimyo also made him a very dangerous threat. Thus, to assure their safety from the threat of a samurai rebelling against his master, these warriors were bound to a code of ethics called bushido; the “way of the warrior.” Although the Japanese word for warrior is “bushi,” the feudal lords recognized that it did not emphasize service to one’s master and instead called their hired warriors samurai, which is commonly interpreted as “those who serve.” Therefore, the way of the samurai was defined by discipline, honor, loyalty, and service. For a samurai, loyalty to his master (even above his own family) was the most important part of his code. For this reason, the worst thing that could ever happen to a samurai was to become a ronin. A ronin was samurai who no longer had a daimyo to serve and was viewed by society as a drifter or a wanderer. In fact, the word ronin literally translates as “wave man,” illustrating that a masterless samurai warrior was similar to one who is socially adrift. Essentially, this pejorative label was denouncing a once respected warrior as nothing more than a vagrant, who tragically lost his way. Although a samurai could become ronin if his master died or was deposed from power, and was unable to find another daimyo to hire him, the worst way to become ronin was if he was dishonorably discharged by his master due to disloyalty. These rogue samurai were looked down upon by society as outlaws and vagabonds. Men who lived without honor, and could not be trusted anymore, because they had turned their backs on their bushido code by rejecting their lord or through expulsion from their clans. Lamentably, many ronin embraced society’s perception of them by turning into criminals who robbed their fellow countrymen in order to survive. Through one act of disobedience and defiance, these decorated warriors would fall from grace, quickly sinking deeper and deeper into disrepute. When one mediates about the fascinating value placed on the honor of one’s commitment by the bushido code, it is impossible not to reflect and relate to our own vow made to Christ by the obedience of the Gospel in the waters of baptism. Similar to the samurai who were easily recognized by their culture because of their strict adherence to their way of life, the Bible declares that our Christianity must be “blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain” (Philippians 2:15-16, emphasis added). It is important also to note that as warriors of His kingdom, it is our duty to “walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy” (Colossians 1:10-11, emphasis added). Curiously, another parallel that stands out is that as Christians the emphasis is made in our duty to serve our Lord and Master. God reminds us of this through Paul’s pen that “though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness…for just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness” (Romans 6:17-18, 19, emphasis added). Nevertheless, it must not be ignored that it is very possible for a Christian to lose his way, thus becoming a modern day ronin. Those who have turned away from Christ, abandoning the faith, today are identified as apostates. Holy Writ declares to those who apostatize that “it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the power of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again fro themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (Hebrews 6:4-6, emphasis added). Since it is absolutely feasible that a Christian can fall from God’s grace as a direct result of disobedience, the same inspired penmen exhorts his fellow brethren, “therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away” (Hebrews 2:1, emphasis added). Yet, it is necessary to realize that those spiritual ronin are the same ones who have concocted the false doctrine of “once saved, always saved,” snaring many little ones, robbing them of their glory. Like the term ronin illustrates a drifter, wanderer, or vagrant, observe that God exhibits apostates as “spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever” (Jude 1:12-13, emphasis added). Perhaps, one of the most startling correlations that can be made between the fallen samurai and the fallen Christian is the depths of dishonor they sink to. Peter decries, “For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse fro them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2nd Peter 2:20-21, emphasis added). It is undeniable that there is a path that can deviate a Christian unto dishonor and infidelity to God, and it starts with unbelief (Hebrews 3:12-19). Thus, to avoid stepping on the menacing road leading to apostasy, let us heed the Divine council, “now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38, emphasis added).