Always remember that Jesus Christ, a descendant of King David, was raised from the dead. This is the Good News I preach. And because I preach this Good News, I am suffering and have been chained like a criminal. But the word of God cannot be chained. So I am willing to endure anything if it will bring salvation and eternal glory in Christ Jesus to those God has chosen. 2 Timothy 2:8-10
Paul the Apostle was chained like a common criminal, but he gladly adds
the Gospel of Jesus Christ can never be imprisoned. And so it is; there is nothing about truth
that can truly be silenced. And the
center of that truth, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is that he was raised from
the dead. Even a grave cannot hold back
truth.
When this truth gripped Paul, he became willing to endure the harshest of conditions
and treatment to proclaim it. Paul’s
list[1] of what he had to endure to continue telling people about the resurrected
Jesus is a grueling testament of the strength God continually gave him:
Often, he had little food or the means
to buy it
He was beaten with rods by the
religious leaders
He suffered three different shipwrecks
He was whipped 5 times for preaching
(39 lashes each)
He was stoned and left for dead
He endured violent river upheavals that
threatened
He endured sleepless nights
He was also robbed on the road more
than once
On the other side of all that hardship Paul would rather still talk about how kind Christ
had been to him, and the supremacy of the Kingdom of God, and how it is our glorious
task to proclaim that kingdom with everything we’ve got.
If you made it to church yesterday, you probably drove in an automobile
that has a heater for when you’re cold, and an air conditioner when it’s hot. You rode; you didn’t hoof it 3 miles. You probably showered (one can only hope),
and the water was warmed by an electric or gas heater. You might have dumped something from the
freezer into the crock pot so it would be ready when you got home from
church. Or, you may have ridden in that
heated/air-conditioned car to a restaurant that has the banana pudding you like
so well.
In all of that there is little “suffering” for the unchained Gospel.
Now, don’t get me wrong here; I’m not advocating for going on the hunt for
some persecution so you can have a list like Paul’s. I’m just pointing out that, for most of us, our
Sundays are relatively “ho-hum” – we live in comfort compared to what Paul endured
to proclaim Jesus resurrected. And with
that focus (which Paul also said to always remember) we
are somewhat humbled by the ease we have, and the corresponding ineffectiveness
we exhibit in sharing that Gospel.
When Jesus told his disciples what their job would be, going into all the
world to preach the Good News, baptizing, and making disciples of many, Jesus
never mentioned crock pots or other comfort-giving conveniences. Yet, we tend to have a focus these days on
convenience, preference, and our rights to choose. Sometimes, I think, all these conveniences
and choices have not led to discipleship, but disablement.
For You Today
You
chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!
Title image, Pixabay.com and W Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation©
For other posts on becoming Jesus’ disciple see: Pedigree or Passion? and Some Assembly Required
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