“He sent and had John beheaded in the prison” – Matthew 14:10
On this day in which we remember the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this verse reminds us that the people of God must be willing to be unpopular, to be opposed by the crowd and by those in authority, to be imprisoned, to suffer, and even to die for the truth of God. Whether it be the truth that God created all persons of every race, nationality, and ethnicity equally in His image and all are therefore worthy of equal rights and dignity, or whether it be taking an uncompromising stand for the moral principles and standards of God before corrupt and powerful leaders or applauding mobs, there is a price to be paid for speaking God’s truth and we must be willing to pay it!
As followers of Jesus, we must always be careful that we are unpopular and persecuted for the truth and principles of God, not simply because we are being unpleasant or rude. It’s too easy to be obnoxious, find yourself disliked, then pat yourself on the back for being strong. That isn’t the call of Jesus – we must be winsome, gentle, and firm in our presentation of hard truth.
As followers of Jesus, we must be careful that we are standing up for His truth in a manner that glorifies Him: full of gospel authenticity, firm and steadfast love, humble acknowledgement of our own weakness and failures, and genuinely desiring to offer forgiveness and experience deep reconciliation. Ungodly language and ungodly behavior do not advance the Kingdom of God in the face of evil, they are tools that serve the purposes of the Evil One. We must never trade our Christian integrity and witness for short-term success or power – that’s the work of the devil not Christ.
Our path and calling is not easy. The cost of truly following Jesus will increase in this country. However, we have countless examples across the centuries who make it clear that we can and must be willing to pay that price.