3.22.15
"Walking Through The Persecution"
Audio Sermon Can Be Heard Here.
In 1973, Lynn Anderson sang the immortal words: "I never promised you a rose garden." The song's lyrics ring true today some four decades later. This life has hardships. Not every day is all sunshine and beauty. There are times when rain must fall, and days when the ugliness of the world is seen close up and unfiltered. Jesus knew this fact to be true. He had wonderful days of angelic choirs announcing his birth, wedding planners praising his water to wine transformations, and even once had the masses singing his praises while he rode through the streets. He also knew the feel of taunting words, hurtful words, the evil of men's hearts towards him, and finally the feel of thorns and spikes, and rough hewed wood on his back.
In his love for his disciples, and us as spiritual descendants, he tried to prepare us for the inevitable. We will have wonderful, amazing days walking with Jesus! We will also have to face the truth of a fallen world filled with fallen and evil people who will have nothing but loathing for us.
In Matthew chapter 10, Jesus prepares the disciples to venture out away from him to test their resolve and prepare them for the day when he would leave and they must carry on the work which must be done. He gives them practical advise, but also some gloomy advise as well. If I were a PR adviser for Jesus, I would have kept this part of the "follow me" campaign on the hush, hush. I can picture ads running online or posters printed that reads: "Follow Me! You Will Be Betrayed!" or "Be Like Jesus, Be Hated and Despised!" Maybe there could have been a bumper sticker which read "I Am A Sheep Among Wolves".
Those are the things Jesus told his disciples would be said about them if they chose to follow him. In Matthew 10, Jesus tells his disciples that there will be wolves (verse 16). He did not say, "Oh, there may be the possibility of ravenous wild animals looking to feast on your innocence." No, he said there will be people who want nothing more than to satisfy themselves with your destruction.
He added that we will be betrayed and hated. Family and friends will turn on one another. They will reject the person who is a Jesus follower and persecute them. In verse 22 Jesus goes so far as to say that we who believe and follow him will be "hated by all." All. That is a lot of people.
This hatred for God, Judaism, and Christianity is still just as fervent as in the days that Jesus first issued this warning. As an example of this, watch the following video: CLICK HERE. It is a video of a person testing the reaction of waving an ISIS terrorist flag or the national flag of Israel. The results are shocking. While this experiment was specifically about Israel, I believe it reflects the attitude that Jesus was trying to convey to his followers: there will be people who love evil and hate you.
Jesus did not only give gloomy predictions of how we would be persecuted. No. He also gave some very practical instructions on how we should follow him through the persecution.
1. Be shrewd. In Matthew 10:16, Jesus tells his followers to be as shrewd as a snake. But wait, isn't a snake the symbol of Satan and sin? What is Jesus trying to pull? The snake was also a symbol or wisdom and clarity of understanding. He is telling us to be watchful, patient, and cunning in our actions.
2. Be innocent. We are to be as innocent as doves. Without blemish. When we live a double life as Christians and try to be in the world and of it, we create a paradox in the minds of people we are trying to reach with the truth of Christ's love. One way to handle persecution, is to know that you are in the right, not the wrong. Proverbs 28:1 describes it like this: "The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as lions."
3. Do not be anxious. In verse 19 Christ comforts us in knowing that that we will not have to give answer for our faith alone. God will give us the words to say to change the hearts of others.
4. Endure to the end. Perseverance is not a buzz word for today's culture. We too often find ourselves pacing in front of the microwave waiting for the popcorn to finish popping (I am guilty of this at times), In a culture where short term contracts for cell phone service is too long, the admonishment by Jesus to endure is needed for sure.
5. Flee. Jesus stood when others would not. He endured the cross and all of its shame, but here in verse 23 he advises his followers that sometimes a timely retreat is advantageous. When the pressure comes and we are in trouble, we can take follow the instructions of Jesus and flee. If you need a more modern take on the concept of getting out and getting free of the situation, then look no further than Paul Simon and his plan to "slip out the ba ck, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan. No need to be coy, Roy. Just get yourself free. Hop on the bus, Gus. You don't need to discuss much. Just drop of the key, Lee; and get yourself free."
6. Take heart! In all of this persecution and ugliness, take heart in knowing that if others are treating you poorly for the namesake of Jesus, then you are behaving and looking like him! He says in verse 25 that if they have called the head of the household a devil, then don't be surprised when they call us one too! We are no greater than the master, and he was persecuted. We should expect the same.
A fine example of actually living these steps out can be seen HERE. This short video tells the story of a Pakistani Christian woman and her persecution, deliverance, and eventual peace which filled her by Jesus.
Pray today that when the times of persecution come, and they will, that we have the strength of to follow Jesus - even though it is no rose garden.
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