Author : William Stewart, via lookinguntojesus.net
I’m confident Jesus looked forward to going home. Recall the words of young Dorothy, “There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Almost immediately, she and Toto were back in Kansas, surrounded by loved ones. However, Jesus’ return to Galilee wasn’t as happy an event.
He spoke at their synagogue, amazing them with His words and works. But they did not receive Him well. They knew His family; they knew Him. So where did He get such works from? Matthew tells us,
…they were offended at Him. But Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house” (Matthew 13:54-58)
Sadly, it was a common thing for people to be offended at Jesus. Just a few chapters later the Pharisees were offended at Jesus’ teaching which implicated them for ignoring God’s word (Matthew 15:12). A day after being celebrated and appreciated by a Galilean crowd, they were offended at Him, and walked after Him no more (John 6:61, 66). Jesus was called a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” by the prophet (Isaiah 8:14) and both Paul (Romans 9:33) and Peter (1 Peter 2:8) confirm it. Even John the Baptist was unsure about Him once, to which the Lord responded:
…blessed is he who is not offended because of Me. (Matthew 11:6)
IF THEY PERSECUTED ME, THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU
Jesus warned His disciples more than once that the cruelty and disdain which people treated Him with would be directed at His followers too. On the night of His betrayal, He said to the apostles,
Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. (John 15:20)
He shared the same sentiment with them in Matthew 10, where we read:
…you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. … If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! …do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:22, 25, 28)
Persecution may come in several different ways – violence, verbal attacks, teasing, discrimination, etc.. Jesus was the object of each of these, and He told His people to expect the same. Christians at various times throughout history have been treated violently, and even today in some nations suffer physical harm. Physical persecution of believers is rare in North America (there have been a few cases of school shootings where faith in Christ was an issue and no doubt occasional violence that sadly goes unreported). I am thankful that violence against believers in the Bible is not rampant in our country as it was in the early years of the Lord’s church, or as it is in some areas of the world. However, there are some disturbing things going on nonetheless.
NOT JUST A T-SHIRT
Perhaps you’ve heard of the young man in Nova Scotia who was suspended for a week from Forest Heights Community School for repeatedly wearing a T-shirt to school with a slogan promoting his faith in Christ. The principal told reporters that other students felt “judged” by William Swinimer’s shirt. A school board representative said,
Students may choose to wear clothing that expresses their beliefs. However, it is expected that students will not wear clothing with messages that may offend others’ beliefs, race, religion, culture or lifestyle.
(National Post, 05.04.2012)
The shirt didn’t have any crude language, no reference to drugs or alcohol, no picture of gruesome or sexually explicit things. How sad that a T-shirt encouraging folks to serve the Lord is considered offensive; especial in a nation where our Charter of Rights and Freedoms states, “…Canada is founded upon the principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.”
If the T-shirt had just about anything other than “Jesus” on it, there likely wouldn’t have been a problem. If it had read, “Life Is Wasted Without Beer,” or “Life Is Wasted Without Football”, etc., there’d had been no problem. Even a “Jesus Sucks” T-shirt likely wouldn’t have roused anyone, but a shirt declaring a message this world needs to hear – suspension!
Sadly, Canada has a double standard. You can speak against Christianity, get offended at their beliefs and get the in trouble with authorities (not just school boards, but human’s rights tribunals), but if you are a Christian, you cannot speak without it being called hatred or bigotry or discrimination. If you are a Christian, and you are offended by someone (be it Muslims, homosexuals, pro-choice advocates, etc.), your concern really doesn’t matter – you’re not a “visible minority.”
So, what is the solution? First, stand for what is right and what should be constitutionally protected rights. Don’t seek to offend people, but don’t refrain from sharing the message of the gospel with folks, even if opponents are looking on. How many times did Jesus preach while surrounded by the hateful Pharisees? Remember, Jesus said that people will be offended, Paul said that we would suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), and Peter said we should give God glory if we do suffer for His sake (1 Peter 4:13-19).
