by Pastor Michael Kiewitt, Clearwater Community Baptist Church
Mark 14:32-15:33: When the going gets tough…?
After Jesus was arrested his people abandoned him. When things got tough his friends deserted him. They promised that they wouldn’t leave him. They promised that they would be committed no matter what, even if it meant death. Jesus predicted otherwise. When things got tough, difficult and frightening they ran. They were afraid of being hurt, of being arrested, of enduring the same punishment as their Lord. It is easy to judge Jesus’ followers as cowards given what we know now. But could we really say that we would do any different?
It is hard not to notice how the media and our country regard Christianity. More and more we who believe in Jesus are seen to be foolish, uneducated, ignorant and basically stupid because we follow Jesus. Jokes about us and about our Lord are more and more common. Christianity in schools is being constantly challenged and rejected without question.
As Christianity shrinks in popularity and influence, as relativism develops, as morals become a matter of personal preference, intolerance for Christianity grows. Canada is a country proud to profess tolerance but equally proud, it seems, to show intolerance toward Christian values and beliefs.
Our Lord told us that accepting Him would mean being unpopular. As the rejection of our faith progresses we will be (and perhaps already have been) pressed to make difficult choices in our families, communities, workplaces and schools. Do we tell people about our faith at a risk or hide it and remain safe? Do we maintain our integrity and values or compromise for fear of being singled out?
When we see our faith being ridiculed and beaten will we run away, as the disciples did when Jesus was beaten and ridiculed or will we endure the rejection and ridicule in this life in thanks and praise for the eternal acceptance God has given us in the next?
We are in different circumstances than the disciples but the choice is the same. When the going gets tough where we go shows what we believe.
