My Voice Part 2

Matthew 5

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” (Matthew 5)

I’m afraid that my previous letter to you from my century might have misled you a bit. I do not wish that, and so, I am writing to you again. Yes, I need to make some things clear that were perhaps missing from my first letter.

In that letter, I wrote these words:

“For so long, I had nothing to say to the world. No, nothing at all. But now, thanks to the love of our Father God, through his Son, Jesus, I can say that I have been blessed to receive life in abundance. The veil that covered my eyes has been lifted to see his love and to feel his calling to praise him for what he has done in my life.”

Don’t get me wrong: I stand by every word of that, and in fact, I wish I could have written it with the eloquence that our God deserves in my thanks to him.

But I want to make sure that you also understand that God’s blessings have not made my life perfect. Abundant, yes. Filled with the love of Christ, yes. But perfect? No, of course not! You see, Jesus promised many things to us, including the abundant life of love that he personified. And as I said, after many years, I was finally touched by his spirit in a way that has enabled me to share in his blessings.

I’m sure that you understand that my newfound voice has not exempted me from my daily need of the Grace of God, as made real by the life, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus. No, I am still a sinful beggar, hungry for the daily bread of life.

But you see, there’s something else that I don’t wish for you to miss in your time. Because please don’t forget how Jesus was hated by so many. You surely understand that our religious leaders hated him and saw to his death, a terrible death on a cross. And what’s more, Jesus often clearly stated to his followers that the hate expressed toward him would fall on them (and by extension, on us).

“If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you.  If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘Slaves are not greater than their master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.” (John 15)

He said more:

“I have said these things to you to keep you from falling away. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God.” (John 16)

And, I am sorry to say, his words have come true: many of his followers have been arrested and jailed and beaten, just for proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. One of them, a man named Stephen, was actually stoned to death. And as a result, some who followed Jesus have fallen away, in fear of persecution and societal rejection.

St. Stephen

Carlo Criveli

It seems that following Jesus, while bringing great blessings, can at the same time, stir the same hatred that crucified him. I hope by your time, such persecution will have ended long ago. But just the same, I want this letter to warn you.

I’ve concluded that following Jesus will take courage. Will great courage be required of me? I hope not, but if you are wondering about me, and how I am dealing with the realities of following Jesus, let me explain.

As I said in my earlier letter, I have striven to be a faithful Jew, attending synagogue, reading scripture, and respecting Torah. I would like to remain in the Jewish faith, the faith of my fathers, going back many generations.

But I can see the day coming when that will no longer be possible. You see, those most opposed to Jesus were leaders of our faith, including scribes and Pharisees, groups Jesus called out for hypocrisy.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others, but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.  They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father, the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.” (Matthew 23)

Already, I am viewed with suspicion. No, no one is physically threatening me, at least not yet. But even as I use my voice, the precious voice of praise that God finally gave to me, I can feel the eyes of rejection and even condemnation. I can even believe that the prediction of Jesus may come to pass in my life, that I may actually be “put out of the synagogue.”That would amount to complete societal rejection.

But I will not be silent. No, I will not! As Jesus himself said, upon a donkey as he rode into Jerusalem, “I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.” (Luke 19)

Where will I find enough courage to continue to praise my Lord? It’s ironic, isn’t it? I waited and prayed for years to experience the breath of Christ, and to find the words of praise, using the voice that he finally gave me. And now, now that I am doing so, I can see opposition rising by the day. Yes, it’s the same opposition that succeeded in crucifying Jesus.

So, where does the courage come from? Let me try to answer:

First of all, I find courage in the words of Jesus:

“I have said this to you so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution, but take courage: I have conquered the world!” (John 16)

And of course, also in his very life: though innocent, he faced a terrible death in obedience to his heavenly father. He persevered and he calls all of us to do the same and keep the faith.

Likewise, our small community of Christ-followers is united in our hope for peace. Just recently, Peter and John were arrested and brought before the council, the very same men who condemned Jesus. After they were accused and warned to stop speaking about Jesus, they answered, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge;for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4)

The Holy Spirit, which was promised by Jesus, is very much alive in our fellowship, giving us courage where before there had been none. In fact, I am sure that you remember how Peter denied even knowing Jesus on the night of his arrest. But now, with the power of the Holy Spirit, Peter speaks boldly about what he has “seen and heard.”

As for me, I am going to keep using the voice that God gave me. I don’t know what will happen, but I’m certain that I will face mounting opposition. Actually, Peter and John said that they rejoiced after they were beaten for speaking out for Jesus. They told us that the beating was a blessing, because what they said must have been worthy of such persecution.

I’m not sure what to hope for you in your time. Certainly, no one wishes to be persecuted, and I do not wish that for you. But on the other hand, I must add that for me, in my time, together with our small community of Christ-followers, the persecution is actually making us stronger. It serves to unify us and, in a way, we feel solidarity with Christ himself, who endured suffering beyond any of us.

So, as I wrote at the beginning of this letter, our lives in Christ are not perfect. Perhaps this letter will serve to correct any misconception that I may have left with you. I hope that it does.

Because surely, we face challenges that seem to be beyond our strength. Our hope is in the Holy Spirit, which I believe we can share with you across the centuries. Yes, as I end this letter to you, that is my greatest hope: that, whatever opposition you may face in your time, that the Holy Spirit will strengthen your faith, just as it is doing for us. And that you will keep your voice strong!