All Stirred Up

Luke 11:53-12:12
Imagine the stress that Jesus was forced to live under. Luke offers us a glimpse in our reading from today. “When (Jesus) went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile toward him and to cross-examine him about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say. Meanwhile, when the crowd gathered by the thousands, so that they trampled on one another, he began to speak first to his disciples, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, their hypocrisy’” (Luke 11:53-12:1).

Jesus’ enemies were trying to trap him, the crowds were climbing over one another to reach him, and the disciples needed almost constant instruction. The gospel message is one of good news, certainly, but it is nonetheless full of agitation and upheaval. But what would you expect? In Jesus Christ God was not only reconciling the world to God’s self, but was transforming the world, reshaping it into what God had intended. The minute things begin to change, the minute old institutions and old ideas are set aside, turmoil erupts. We see it in our lives and throughout our culture. Even positive change is met with resistance. As Newton’s Third Law of Motion tells us, “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” According to Luke, Jesus encountered this phenomenon even as he went about doing the will of God.

We may turn to Jesus Christ as a source of peace, but until we are ready to let go of everything in our lives that we value more highly than our relationship with God we, too, will experience turmoil and confusion. Nor may we simply point to others and blame them. This is as true for you and me as anyone. Even as Jesus seeks to change us, the sinfulness inherent in our nature pushes back. It is only by grace that God is able to move us to the place where we need to be. Thanks be to God for the willingness to stand firm in the midst of turmoil and to lead us—kicking and screaming if need be—toward the coming reign of God.

Prayer: Lord, help us to let go of everything that stands between us and your will for our lives, and help us to willingly accept what you are doing in our midst. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Very Meaning of 'Martyr"

Revelation 12:7-17
Luke 11:53-12:12
Our reading from Revelation today continues the apocalyptic struggle between good and evil, one which God’s people will ultimately win. “But they have conquered (the accuser) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not cling to life even in the face of death” (Revelation 12:11). This tying together of one’s testimony and the willingness to die is the very essence of martyrdom. The Greek word for martyr is the same as the English word for witness, one who is willing to offer testimony as to what they believe, even when threatened with death. According to the author of Revelation, those who trust in Jesus Christ as the Messiah and in the good news of the gospel are the ones who will not fear death.

In his ministry Jesus offered a similar word of encouragement. “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more” (Luke 12:4). In his hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” Martin Luther writes,

Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill;
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever.

Something to consider today, as you go about your normal activities, is the value with which you hold the gospel. Are you willing to die for your faith? Do you trust in God’s salvation and have confidence enough in God’s word to “not cling to life even in the face of death?” For some of us this is question is merely a mental exercise. But for many this is a real and pressing issue, one that hits close to home, for there are men and women who this very day may find themselves persecuted for their faith and who, by the grace of God will stand firm in their convictions. Perhaps those of us who will face no such struggle should honor our brothers and sisters who do by taking our faith more seriously this day and every day. Perhaps we can be more attentive to the claims of discipleship and to living a life in Christ in those places where it is taken for granted, so that those who must risk everything for the gospel will not stand alone.

Prayer: Lord, give us the strength and courage we need to stand as your people, to risk everything for the truth of the gospel, and to offer our testimony to your Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.