Wise and Gentle

Matthew 10:23 But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.

We should never try to look for persecution, even in the name of Christ.  It is not the purpose of Christians to provoke hostility.  So Christ urges the disciples to escape persecution when it is possible.  We are not obligated to stay in a place of opposition and danger until we are killed, or even imprisoned.  This is the pattern that every faithful pastor and missionary is to follow till the Son of man be come.

Consider the ministry of the apostle Paul.  When persecution became so severe that his ministry became unproductive, he left and went to another.  He was not afraid of persecution.  He was beaten many times, and even stoned once.  But he did not test the limits of the opposition.  He endured whatever ridicule, reviling, beating, and imprisonment necessary.  But he left when his effectiveness ceased.

Despite their many misunderstandings, shortcomings, failures, and boastings, the disciples knew that Jesus was their only resource, and that without Him they could do nothing.  They clung to Him when facing any problem or difficulty.  Jesus not only taught them, but He cared for them, loved them, and provided for them.  When they finally realized He was actually going to leave them, they panicked.

Jesus sent the apostles out among wolves into dangers they could never have imagined while He was still with them.  But just as He promised wolves, He also promised to send His own Spirit to indwell, empower, and encourage them.  If the world would persecute the Master, it would certainly persecute His servants.  They just needed to lean on Him.

Hated by Men

Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

We must remember that Jesus is specifically instructing His disciples.  He is not referring to nominal Christians, who look like and live like this world.  The apostles were persecuted because they would not compromise the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They would not stop preaching that all men are sinners in need of a Saviour.  And they would not compromise from the fact that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.

False religion reacts against the truth because it was started by Lucifer.  And false teachers despise the disciples of Christ because they are servants of Satan.  Governments oppose believers because, most of the time, it is under the control of the prince and power of the air, the ruler of this world.  Ungodly families and society stand against believers because they cannot tolerate righteous people in their midst.

Endurance to the end does not produce salvation, because salvation itself is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.  But endurance is evidence of salvation.  It is proof that a person has been truly redeemed and is a child of God.  The ability to endure is a grace of God, which will be given to every true believer when they need it.

Persecution quickly burns away the chaff.  Those who have made only a superficial profession of faith in Christ have no new nature that would enable them to endure even if they wanted to.  But the Word of God promises believers that there is nothing that can separate them from Jesus Christ.  And we can depend on His faithfulness to us.

Satan's War on Earth

Revelation 12:13-14

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child.

And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

Persecuted by Family

Matthew 10:21 And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death.

The disciples are told that there would be a day when believers would be persecuted by their own families.  Not long after Jesus returned to heaven, this prophecy began to be fulfilled in the Roman empire, and it has been fulfilled throughout the centuries.

Matthew 10:35-36 For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.  And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

In certain religious cultures a funeral service is held for a family member who becomes a Christian, because in the eyes of his relatives he is no longer alive.  In some instances, converted family member are poisoned to death, or killed in other various ways.  Someone has observed that only two things are stronger than natural love; one is born of hell and one is born of heaven.  Stronger than natural love are the love that is of God and the hatred that is of Satan.

During the tribulation there will be a great increase in the hatred of family members toward those who turned to Jesus Christ for salvation.

Mark 13:12-13 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death.  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake...

Saying the Right Thing

Matthew 10:19-20 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.  For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.

It would be difficult not to take thought about what you are going to say while being maligned, persecuted, arrested, and beaten.  It is natural to speak out in our own defense when we are being charged with wrongdoing.

Jesus gave the Apostles the promise that the Holy Spirit would give them the exact words to speak if they were brought before a religious or civil court. Although that exact promise has not been given to us, Paul does tell us what to do when we are persecuted, oppressed, victimized, bullied, or intimidated.  Those who suffer for Christ will be defended by Christ.

Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Many of the most memorable and powerful testimonies of the great martyrs were uttered just before they were put to death.  God gave them a special presence of mind and clarity of thought to present a testimony more powerful than they would otherwise have been able to give.

Without any planning or imagining, at the time of their trials in court, God gave the Apostles the words to say.  It came into their minds just when it was needed.  The Holy Spirit enabled them to know just what to say and how to say it down to the last word, with no mistake or even a wrong word due to a faulty memory.

Persecuted by the Government

Matthew 10:18 And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

Persecution and opposition will not just come from other religious groups, but also from the government.  Jesus says that the abuse will be for my sake.  The world hates Christians because the world hates Christ.  Every person who identifies himself with Christ through salvation becomes a potential target of Satan and his evil forces.  That it is Christ, and not Christians, that the world opposes is seen in the fact that the more Christ is seen through us, the more we are attacked.  Conversely, when we do not manifest Christ, we do not incite the world’s wrath.  The Christian who mimics the world, or simply keeps his faith to himself, is in little danger from the world, because he manifests little of His Lord’s nature.  The world attacks us when it sees Christ in us.

Since the beginning of Christianity, various governments have been involved in persecuting Christians.  Sometimes this was for purely political reasons and sometimes as an enforcer of state-recognized religion.  During modern times, communist governments have slaughtered millions and persecuted and imprisoned countless millions more.  Because atheism is a central tenet of Communism, it has always sought to suppress and eliminate religion, especially Christianity.

Although government was established by God to preserve social order, it has also been an instrument of Satan to promote his own work and to oppose the work of the Lord.  Government may be ordained by God, but it is manipulated by Satan.  Demonic forces work through those governments that have moved away from God’s Word.

Cast Your Cares on the Lord

Matthew 5:21-26

Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Persecuted by the Religious

Matthew 10:17 But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues...

Jesus wanted the disciples to know that there is a price to pay for following Him.  He did not intend to frighten them and make them paranoid.  But they needed to understand that the world would not receive the gospel and its messengers with open arms.  Satan’s world system, which contains every unbeliever, is diametrically opposed to work of Jesus Christ.  Satan will enlist the support of every unbeliever possible in his fight against God.  Faithful believers should not be surprised when they are trashed, ostracized, imprisoned, or even put to death for His sake.

Over the centuries, true Christians have been persecuted by the religious.  It began with persecution from religious Jews.  As the apostles and early Christians preached in Christ’s name, they were judged by the councils in the synagogues and then scourged by being whipped thirty-nine times, which was one less than the maximum of forty stripes allowed by the law of Moses.

When the temple was destroyed and the Jews were scattered their persecution of Christians virtually ceased.  But not many years later, the Roman Catholic church oppressed, exiled,  imprisoned, tortured, and killed millions of true believers.  The middle ages are referred to as the dark ages because they were truly dark.

Even today, there are places where Christians face opposition from many religious groups.  While false religions believe they can impose their beliefs on others, true Christianity knows that there is no salvation unless it is accepted without coercion.

Wise and Gentle

Matthew 10:16b ...be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Because we are living and serving in the midst of wolves who desire to destroy anything associated with Jesus Christ, it is important that we say the right thing at the right time and place.  It is necessary that we develop a sense of propriety and appropriateness, and of trying to discover the best means to achieve the highest goal.  It is neither wise nor loving to be needlessly accusatory or inflammatory.  It is neither brave nor shrewd, and neither spiritual nor loving, to needlessly incite anger or seek trouble.

While a serpent is considered shrewd, smart, cunning, and cautious, a dove represents purity and innocence.  Being true to God’s Word does not require being abrasive, course, blunt, inconsiderate, belligerent, and blatant.  Wisdom and purity, cunning and gentleness, should work together.

Godly wisdom is the ally of truth and righteousness.  Not taking a stand for God’s Word does not promote innocence and holiness.  But that stand needs to be done wisely and, if possible, harmlessly.

Nothing untruthful or unethical can enhance the gospel or make its witness more effective.  Integrity and honesty are practical manifestations of truthfulness, without which an otherwise orthodox presentation of the gospel is distorted and weakened.

As believers we need to follow the example of our Shepherd:

I Peter 2:23 ...when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not...

I Corinthians 4:12-13 ...being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: Being defamed, we intreat...

Sheep and Wolves

Matthew 10:16a Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves...

Sheep are perhaps the most dependent, helpless, and stupid of all domesticated animals.  They are as often panicked by things that are harmless as they are by things that are dangerous.  And when real danger does come, they have no natural defense except running, and they are not very good at that.

Although sheep are vulnerable to infections, disease, insects, and parasites, predators are their greatest enemy.  In Israel, as in many other places in the world, the most common predator are wolves.  People in Palestine understood the nature of sheep and the danger of wolves.  They knew how difficult it was just to keep sheep alive, let alone healthy and content.

The normal danger for sheep is that wolves come in among them.  But Jesus makes it clear that he sends us forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Jesus is the perfect Good Shepherd, who loves His sheep with a divine love, who knows each by name, and gave His life for them.  But in the figure of the sheep and wolves, Jesus reveals that we will be rejected and persecuted by a God-hating world.  He made the cost of discipleship clear to the disciples.

It is consistent with their predatory nature for wolves to come into a flock in the field and even into the sheepfold to attack, mutilate, and devour the sheep.  But it is not natural for sheep to voluntarily walk into the den of the wolf.  And it is unnatural for a shepherd to send his sheep into certain peril.  

Godly lives are not marked by continual suffering and hardship inflicted by an unbelieving world.  But faithfulness to God will result in a price to be paid, and a sacrifice to be made.