How Should We React in Front of Adversity?

 

WED Evening Prayer Reflection 090920 (Job 30; Acts 14: 19-28; John 11: 1-16)

From v. 24 of Job 30, I sense a cry of someone in great pain. He thought God fought against him and stirred up his whole strength to ruin him… It is fascinating to study Job’s attitude towards God, whom he thought was the author of all his calamities and misfortunes, like here in V. 21 You have turned cruel to me. He is being honest with God with his feelings but also, Job is being careful because, quite frankly who can be against God? Wouldn’t you expect a person who have had pity on others also to find pity and mercy especially from God and his friends? Wouldn’t Job have a right to expect the same courtesy, if he has helped the poor and the needy all his life? Job’s situation is teaching us that sometimes, things don’t always work out the way we expect them to. A Rwandan proverb tells us that “You find your good deed ahead of you.” Yes, it is true because misdeeds don’t pay well in the future. The proverb encourages everyone to do good to others because, you never know whom you meet in the future, it may indeed be your old beneficiary/benefactor. Job’s pain was that he wasn’t finding pity and mercy from anyone. How do we, people of faith react in situations like that? In countries that have experienced mass violence, often we are astonished to find Christian believers lose their composure because of extreme suffering and injustice.

If we consider the treatment of slaves, or people of other races such as the Jews, the Native Americans, the Aborigines, the people of Tibet, the African tribes or the people of the Balkans and many more... shouldn’t the flavor of Christianity in people remain the same everywhere at all times? All people are made in God’s image, and deserve the utmost respect and protection. I was stunned to see the evidence in plain sight when I read the passage in the book of Acts. Paul, a Roman citizen was now considered the strange one, [for being a Christian]. Acts 14: 19 “…they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.” I am imagining Paul as an older man, tortured and full of blood from injuries and a swollen head, going forward to preach in the next town of Derbe. Matt 10:28 “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

He went on to encourage others to continue firmly in their faith and he said: “It is through many persecutions that we must enter the kingdom of God.” Wow, this adds a different perspective, doesn’t it? Christianity never stopped growing no matter how fierce the persecution became. This boldness in Paul is familiar… Every pain in our lives have a purpose. If only we can learn to endure in patience without cursing or rebelling, we would discover later the reasons the pain was in our lives. This is not an easy discussion to have: No Jew deserved to be taken to a concentration camp, none deserve to die in ethnic cleansing madness. Those are pains we will never understand, but Jesus does understand, because the Kingdom of darkness works like that. Jesus’ Kingdom is a Kingdom of light. Our anger, and desire for revenge are all tools of the Kingdom of darkness. As Christian believers, we should not be confused about that. We should know our limits, that’s why being a Christian is not a walk in the park.

 

Jesus was never shy in front of violence, when it came to accomplishing the will of His Father in Heaven. John tells us that Jesus’ disciples were pleading with him not to go to Judea again since the Jews were seeking to stone him. Jesus explained to them that those who walk during the day don’t stumble because there is light but those who walk in darkness do stumble because there is no light. Christian believers are supposed to be walking in the light… Walking in the ways of God with the light of Christ, but others choose to walk in the darkness. In this world, the deeds of the evil one, are works of darkness, Christian believers should stay clear of them.

No matter how serious the persecution gets, Christian believers should stay the course, they should never mix in with the works of darkness. Jesus is the light of the world that illuminates our paths. Jesus is the word from God that leads us and guides us in God’s love and mercy. Christian believers don’t participate in the oppression of other people made in God’s image. They don’t associate with anything to do with the works of darkness. They constantly walk in Christ, relying on the mercy of God, as they get transformed into Christ-likeness every moment of their lives: losing what’s of the earth and gaining what’s of heaven.

Be Blessed Today and Forever! Amen.