34th Week OT (W)
Jesus is an excellent teacher. But he's a terrible salesman. Instead of playing up the advantages and rewards of following him, he says, “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons...You will be hated by all because of my name...they will put some of you to death.” WooHoo! Sign me up! NB. he says all this to the crowd, not just to his close knit circle of disciples. IOW, he's publicly telling everyone who's listening that joining him might land you in jail or the grave. He's a little vague on why this might happen – “because of my name.” Apparently, those who join up don't actually have to do much of anything to be hated, jailed, and possibly killed. Just being associated with him is enough. When all this happens – the hated, jailed, and possibly killed stuff – we're to allow him, Jesus, to give us the words of our defense. And our “adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.” Again, he's little vague on how he'll defend us, thus adding to the less-than-attractive invitation to join his merry band. But join we have. So, our question this morning: do you follow Christ in such a way as to rile up his adversaries to hate, jail, and possibly kill you?
According to Open Doors, a watchdog group for Christian persecution, there are 350m Christians currently living in 50 countries that actively persecute followers of Christ. Of those 50, 35 are predominately Muslim countries. Other persecutors include paranoid dictators, communists/socialists, drug cartels, and religious nationalists. What they all have in common is that they see Christ as a threat to their power, wealth, and religious beliefs. As well they should. Because that is exactly what he is. A threat. Not a military threat, like an invading army. Or an economic threat, like global capitalism. But a spiritual threat. Christ threatens the spiritual foundations of their power, their control. He threatens their disordered passions and their nihilistic ideologies. Their subjugation of the the dignity of the human person and their utilitarian abuse of individuals and marginalized groups. The Gospel Jesus preaches is the Good News that we are free from sin. Free from fear. Free from the works of darkness that build up a culture of death and exploitation. When everything you are and everything you have is grounded in the miserable suffering of others, then the Good News is the worst news and you fight it tooth and claw. No wonder they hate Christ and his.
Back to our question: do you follow Christ in such a way as to rile up his adversaries to hate, jail, and possibly kill you? Given the global stats, we might be excused for failing to be persecuted. Might be. But we aren't. We are charged with being a thrown-wrench in the mechanics of the Enemy's power. This means telling the Truth. Diffusing Goodness. And celebrating Beauty. It means living openly as breathing sources of mercy. It means loving whatever persecutors we may have, and showing them that what God has freely given us is freely given to them as well. There can be no competition for the Father's infinite love. The race is run. It's won. And we are all victors in his victory.
