Jesus 101: Faithful in the Fire


When you live somewhere according to the values of another place, conflict is inevitable.  When you live by the values of God's kingdom in this world, you swim against cultural, social, political, and maybe even religious currents.  Most people are floating downstream on inner tubes.  You're paddling upstream, getting in their way.  Collisions are bound to happen!

That may be why Jesus' final beatitude says, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Jesus knew about persecution first hand!  According to Luke (4:28-30), his public ministry got off to a rocky start when people from his own  home town wanted to kill him!  He had ongoing verbal battles with Jewish religious leadership.  Finally, Jewish religious leaders teamed up with the Romans to crucify him.

Soon, his followers were martyred for their commitment to him.  The first was Stephen.  Later, James.  Church tradition says nearly all his apostles were put to death because of their proclamation of the good news.

Persecution continued in the early church era as both Jews and Gentiles persecuted Christ followers.  Some of the worst happened in the time when the book of Revelation was written.  Sadly, later in history, Christ followers persecuted their fellow Christ followers!

Today, persecution continues across the world.  Some of the worst is happening in places like North Korea, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

What gives Christ followers the power to face persecution?  The writer of Hebrews says in 11:13-16 that it's because they have the faith to see beyond this world to the world to come.  They live for a country we can't see with physical eyes.  

We here in the US don't face any real persecution.  However, that hasn't always been the case.  In our colonial period, each colony had a state church.  Those state churches persecuted dissenters like Baptists.  Baptists and other groups became convicted that as long as church and state were joined, persecution was inevitable.  This conviction led to the First Amendment of our Constitution.

What does Jesus' parable tell us?  First, we find the power to face persecution through our faith that God's kingdom is real and will replace the kingdoms of this world.

Second, that we should never become persecutors ourselves.  Even when we find other faiths heretical, or pagan, or otherwise offensive.  People must answer to God about their religious beliefs, not to us!


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