Gospel: Luke 21: 12-19
Throughout the Gospels Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples that they would be persecuted - expelled from assemblies, arrested, tortured, put on trial, and put to death. In every instance he tells them not to worry; in fact, in the Beatitudes we are told to rejoice when these things happen to us. Indeed, that was the posture of the early Christians for three centuries as they faced these many hardships. The ancient accounts of the martyrs testify to this joy and serenity.
Today, however, Christians complain about everything. The merest slight and inconvenience sets them over the edge. From uncomfortable pews to holiday coffee cups to people saying Happy Holidays a slight is found everywhere. The incessant moaning about religious liberty from those who would not respect such for others bespeaks a people accustomed to imperial privilege, a group more enamored of the imperial basilica than the humble cave churches of Cappadocia.
If people are not attracted to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus it is because it is not lived among those who claim to follow it. Jesus calls us to be a church that rejoices, not one that grumbles. Throughout the Gospels the grumblers are those who keep people away from Jesus, but those who rejoice attract and bring others to the Lord. So let us rejoice in all things!
No comments:
Post a Comment