| |
There are great blessings in being part of the
Kingdom of God, aren't there? If you're aware of your
spiritual poverty you can be assured that God has done
everything necessary for you to enter his Kingdom; if you
mourn you can know that God will comfort you; if you're
teachable, you'll know that the earth will be yours; if
you hunger for righteousness, you'll be satisfied; if
you're merciful you'll receive mercy; if you're a
peacemaker, it'll show that you're God's child. But what
about the last in this list of blessings that we've been
looking at? "Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." That doesn't sound so good does it? Who
wants to be persecuted? How could we include that in a
list of blessings? Yet Jesus does. And not only here. In
Mark 10 when Peter talks about the things the disciples
have given up to follow Jesus, Jesus replies: "Truly
I tell you, there is no one who has left house or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or
fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who
will not receive a hundredfold now in this age--houses,
brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and
fields" [sounds good, doesn't it? Sounds like a
great list of blessings? But he doesn't stop there:]
"with persecutions -- and in the age to come eternal
life." (Mark 10:29-30 NRSV) Along with the blessings
of being followers of Jesus Christ comes the same sort of
opposition that Jesus himself experienced. |
| |
You see,
there's a sense in which the Christian life is warfare.
Not that we have to face physical enemies, though it may
have included that in past ages. No, as Paul says in Eph
6:12 "our struggle is not against enemies of blood
and flesh, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present
darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the
heavenly places." Every step we take in the
Christian life is opposed by spiritual forces that would
rather we failed. We'll experience this when people look
at us strangely when we tell them we go to church; we'll
feel it when being a Christian means we have to give up
certain things that others appear to enjoy; we might
experience it in the workplace if our Christian
principles stop us from doing some things that others are
happy to do, perhaps even causing us to lose out in the
race to the top. There are lots of ways that Christians
today experience opposition that isn't physical, but
nevertheless is real. |
| |
In fact
this has always been the reality of life for the
Christian. Paul tells Timothy: (2 Tim 3:12 NRSV)
"Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted." Jesus told his disciples:
(Mat 10:21-39 NRSV) "Brother will betray brother to
death, and a father his child, and children will rise
against parents and have them put to death; 22and
you will be hated by all because of my name. … 34"Do
not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I
have not come to bring peace, but a sword. … whoever
does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of
me. 39Those who find their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find
it." In other words persecution is part and parcel
of being a disciple of Christ because Christ's presence
in the world brings out opposition to God's will. So
opposition is expected if we're his followers: (John
15:20 NRSV) "Remember the word that I said to you,
'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they
persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my
word, they will keep yours also." |
| |
Well, if
persecution, or opposition from the world, is a given for
the Christian, how is it a blessing, and how can we
respond to it in a positive way? |
| |
How is
persecution a blessing? |
| |
Paul was
someone who knew a bit about persecution. In 2 Cor 11 he
lists the various ways he's suffered for the gospel. He
says: "Five times I have received from the Jews the
forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was
beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times
I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at
sea; 26on frequent journeys, in danger from
rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people,
danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the
wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and
sisters; 27in toil and hardship, through many
a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without
food, cold and naked." (2 Cor 11:24-27 NRSV) So he
knew what he was talking about. |
| |
But he
tells us in several places the value of such suffering
for him. In the next few verses he says, (2 Cor 11:29-33
NRSV) "Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made
to stumble, and I am not indignant?" In other words
the fact that he's experienced such suffering allows him
to empathise with others who are suffering for their
faith. |
| |
In the
next chapter he says: "to keep me from being too
elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of
Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. 8Three
times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would
leave me, 9but he said to me, "My grace
is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in
weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of
my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in
me. 10Therefore I am content with weaknesses,
insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the
sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am
strong." (2 Cor 12:7-10) So the suffering he
experiences has the value that it forces him to rely on
God rather than on his own strength. |
| |
In
Philippians 1:29 he says that the suffering the
Philippians are experiencing they suffer on Christ's
behalf. In fact this is the test that they're real
followers of Christ and the fact that they stand firm
under opposition is a sign that the gospel is working. |
| |
In Romans
5 he says (Rom 5:3-5 NRSV) "And not only that, but
we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering
produces endurance, 4and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope, 5and
hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has
been given to us." So suffering is something which
is good for us because it strengthens us. |
| |
James
says a similar thing at the beginning of his letter:
(James 1:2-4 NRSV) "My brothers and sisters,
whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing
but joy, 3because you know that the testing of
your faith produces endurance; 4and let
endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature
and complete, lacking in nothing." So the trials
that come from being opposed as a Christian help us in
our growth to maturity |
| |
In his
book 'The Time Machine,' H. G. Wells describes an
imaginary future where life is very different from ours.
There are no weeds or fungi, nettles don't sting, the
summer evenings are free from mosquitoes. In this idyllic
environment the entire population live in wonderful homes
and everyone wears expensive clothes. There's no sign of
either social or economic struggle and the necessity for
work has been eliminated. Disease has been stamped out
and people live in perfect security in a world where
violence is rare. It sounds like Paradise doesn't it? But
what Wells observes is that the removal of hardship,
discomfort, violence, wild animals and the threat of
conflict has produced a weak, insipid, spineless
generation. The weak remained weak and the strong had no
need of their strength. The result was a society that was
physically, intellectually and emotionally crippled.
People became idle, easily fatigued, lacking in interest
and quickly discouraged. Wells' comment on this sad
scenario was that "We are kept keen on the
grindstone of pain and necessity." |
| |
For the
Christian, facing opposition can be hard, but it can also
be the stimulus we need to remain or become strong in our
faith. We've just been doing a series on apologetics in
our Lenten studies. We've been learning how to present
the gospel in a relevant way to people we come into
contact with. But what we've learnt is nothing compared
to what we learn when we actually start to do it. By far
the best way to learn how to defend the gospel is to find
yourself in a situation where someone is questioning your
beliefs, because then you have to think out what you
really believe. You have to be clear in your own mind so
you can explain clearly to others. It's true in any field
isn't it? When you try to teach something to someone
else, you find you understand it much better yourself. |
| |
So
suffering and persecution are good for us because it
helps us to empathise, because it forces us to rely on
God rather than on our own strength, when we stand firm
under opposition it's a sign that the gospel is working,
and it's good for us because it strengthens us, it helps
us in our growth to maturity. |
| |
How
can we respond to it? |
| |
The first
thing we have to say, is that the qualification that
Jesus puts on this blessing is important. He says
"Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness' sake." He isn't talking about those
people who are persecuted because they're foolish, or
because they're pains in the neck, or because they're
self-righteous prigs who get everyone's backs up. There's
no virtue in being persecuted for the wrong reasons.
Peter makes it clear that we mustn't "suffer as a
murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief
maker." (1 Pet 4:15 NRSV) If you suffer because
you're a gossip who ruins people's reputations, or
because you usurp other's place in the Church, or in
society, or because you're a busybody, the suffering you
experience is probably justified and well-deserved. But
he goes on to say that if your suffering comes from
bearing the name of Christ then you can rejoice because
it is Christ's name you bear. |
| |
So the
first response is to make sure that our behaviour is
above reproach. That we are being persecuted for
righteousness' sake and not for our own follies. |
| |
The
second response is to understand that our suffering is
sign of our discipleship, of our carrying the name of
Christ. So bear up under it with joy. Richard Wurmbrand
was held for fourteen years in Communist prisons for his
faith. He writes of his persecution: "The communists
believe that happiness comes from material satisfaction;
but alone in my cell, cold, hungry and in rags, I danced
for joy every night … Sometimes I was so filled with
joy that I felt I would burst if I did not give it
expression. I remembered the words of Jesus:
"Blessed are you when men come to hate you, when
they exclude you from their company and reproach you and
cast out your name as evil on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy!" I told
myself: "I've carried out only half this command.
I've rejoiced, but that is not enough. Jesus says clearly
that we must also leap." |
| |
'When
next the guard peered through the spy-hole, he saw me
springing about my cell. His orders must have been to
distract anyone who showed signs of breakdown, for he
padded off and returned with some food from the staff
room: a hunk of bread, some cheese and sugar. As I took
them I remembered how the verse in St Luke went on:
"Rejoice in that day and leap for joy - for behold
your reward is great:' It was a very large piece of
bread: more than a week's ration. |
| |
Finally,
make sure that you don't give in. Stand firm. James
repeats this blessing in these words: "Blessed are
those who persevere under trial, because when they have
stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that
God has promised to those who love him."
Persecution, opposition from the world, is a fact of life
for the Christian, so don't be surprised by it. And don't
give way under it. Persevere in your faith in God,
knowing that in the end he will prevail and his promises
will be fulfilled. |
| |
Going
back to what Wells wrote in "The Time Machine",
experiencing opposition may not be enjoyable, but we can
use it as a way of strengthening our faith, of learning
to rely more heavily on the power of God, of growing in
our Christian maturity as we see God working through us
despite our weakness. So when next you hear someone
laughing because you express faith in God, or knocking
you for wasting your time going to Church, or even
insulting you for your Christian beliefs, be aware that
nothing that happens to you is any different from the way
that Jesus was treated. Stand firm against all
opposition, make sure that your behaviour is above
reproach and wait for the day when God will vindicate all
of his servants. |
| |
"Blessed
are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven." |
