Tag: Persecution

Categories
2014 Lectionary Ramblings Lectionary Ramblings

September 9th 2014: Acts 9:1-19a

Read Acts 9:1-19a here

“why do you persecute me?”

Jesus doesn’t ask Saul why he is systematically hunting down and killing his followers. He asks why Saul is persecuting him, personally. When we face trials and troubles for “the sake of the name” it is easy for us to take them personally, to ask God to strengthen us that we may endure/succeed/overcome/be victorious. Ultimately though, Jesus’s question here is instructive and crucial. Just as we have seen earlier in Acts that the disciples were thankful for being counted worthy to suffer (something many of us find it hard to understand from the comfort of our cushy Western lifestyles) so we see here that persecution isn’t just about silencing the followers of a faith, it is about trying to stamp the faith out itself. Saul may well have thought that if enough Christians were dispatched, the fledgling faith would fizzle out. When he is faced with Jesus, however, the fruitlessness of the aim of persecution becomes obvious. This is not a man-made faith dreamed up and lived out in a fantastical fashion. This is the clearest and truest reality there has ever been. Jesus, the very God takes Saul’s persecution personally, and acts to show its futility. The future of the Church would never be the same as a result.

Many people face pressure for their faith. Even as people seek to stamp out Jesus by crushing his followers, history tells us that this will never truly work. If you find yourself facing trouble today for the sake of Jesus, rejoice (if you can, it’s hard!) in knowing that fear leads people to seek to stamp him out, and that he won’t be defeated, whatever any of us think. Know too that he has promised to be with you, right until the end. You can do this, because he has done it all.

Categories
2014 Lectionary Ramblings Lectionary Ramblings

September 3rd 2014: Acts 7:17-43, September 4th 2014: Acts 7:44-53 and September 5th 2014: Acts 7:54-8:3

Read Acts 7:17-8:3 here

Things move tremendously quickly in the story of the fledgling Church through the end of Acts 7 and the start of Chapter 8. Stephen’s compelling history of the people of God and the failings of the current Jewish leadership to acknowledge the Lordship of God in Christ lead to his own murder, and the eruption of a great persecution against the Church. Jesus had warned that persecution would come because of following Him, and we have already read recently of the disciples rejoicing about being deemed worthy of suffering “for the name”. Personally I wonder if persecution was inevitable, whether the authorities were merely waiting for an excuse, or whether Stephen’s blasphemous speech brought it about. I wonder if Stephen knew what he was doing when he saw Christ in heaven. Did the disciples welcome the persecution as a sign of the imminent return of Jesus?

Do we see it as a privilege to suffer? I’m not sure I do. Do we see suffering as an aspect of the Christian life to rejoice in? I’m not sure I do.

Clearly, to align ourselves with Jesus invites the potential for suffering, as well as life, hope and a future. The evident confidence and conviction of the early followers of Jesus in the truth of their cause is something we would all benefit from. How do we gain it? As far removed historically as we are from these events it can be difficult. Cultivate relationship with God. Prayer is a conversation. Scripture is there for us to dialogue with, so as to gain an insight in to the character of our God, and the character and actions desired of us. Build fellowship and community with other believers. Disagree well. Ask for wisdom to see and know God in the everyday, as well as experiencing His love and grace in the miraculous. Most of all, have faith and hope. We have a tendency to see both of these as tentative, and head-knowledge-based. Rather these are decisions of the heart. Choose to trust. Choose to hope. Whatever might come to us, whether we think it is good or bad, it is this hope that will point us towards God, who ultimately is the only sustainer.

Categories
2014 Lectionary Ramblings Lectionary Ramblings

August 29th 2014: Acts 5:12-26

Read Acts 5:12-26 here

“Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy”

In today’s reading we find one of the first examples of persecution of Christians. Why does it happen? Jealousy. Jealousy is at the root of most problems in human life. We find it so hard to live and co-exist together? Why is that? I’ll never know. Is it because we don’t think we’re good enough without having power over others? Is it because we don’t like our own lives, see someone who has a life we wish we had so strive to steal it for ourselves? Is it a fear, a need to protect a truth which is more than capable of defending itself? Whatever it is, rather than casting ourselves favourably when set against the leaders depicted poorly in this story, let’s be aware that jealousy is something we all fall into and are prone to, and resolve not to be persecutors ourselves.

Categories
2014 Lectionary Ramblings Lectionary Ramblings

July 29th 2014 Luke 21:5-19

Read Luke 21:5-19 here

“By your endurance you will gain your souls”

At any given time, if we were to study the world news carefully, we would find Christians being persecuted. As things are at this particular moment, this reading feels especially apposite. I’ve already written this week about standing with those who are suffering for the Gospel – it is one of the primary tasks of faith I think, something which we in the UK are largely blind to. Often we are told that this is merciful, or a blessing and, certainly, I’d rather have the life I have, for myself or my family, than those experienced by those who are displaced, injured or even killed for their belief in the person of Jesus and His good news. However, Jesus is unequivocal here, we gain our souls through our endurance for the gospel. I wonder if this means that, if we are not sacrificing or suffering in some way as a result of our faith, we’re somehow not doing it right. I’m not saying that this is a positive, or perhaps even helpful message, and I could well be way off, but if my faith doesn’t challenge my life, if it doesn’t cause me any kind of difficulty at all, is it real faith?

Don’t go out and seek to be a martyr for the sake of it today, but seek ways to endure, to be refined, to be challenged. Ask questions, rail against injustice, think of others before myself. These are my challenges to myself today. Join with me?