To Live is Christ — experiencing rejection

Yesterday someone reacted to the gospel message by attacking me. She is religious but does not know Jesus. Genuine Christians respond to the gospel with agreement, even those who are out of step with God at that moment. However, those who do not know Him often respond with great negativity toward both the message and the messenger.

The scribes and Pharisees reacted like that when Jesus told them the truth. They had their religious practices and when He exposed their lack of true faith, they attacked Him. One of those religious practices concerned giving a tithe or one-tenth of their income to the temple.

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. (Matthew 23:23)

The tithe was only part of their spiritual pride. Jesus often pointed out that their lives didn’t reflect what they said they believed. Instead of examining their lives and admitting what He said was true, they attacked Him and tried to ruin His credibility. When they could not do that, they killed Him.

I can relate. The attack made on me was directed in a confused array of accusations mixed with compliments, rejection mixed with a request for friendship. My sinful flesh wants to defend myself and fight back. No way do I want to be friends with this person. The Holy Spirit says to hold back, do nothing right now, instead, “be still and know that I am God.” So far, I am being still.

My sin nature would also like to debate the issue, but I know that debate does not change the lives of other people. Only God can do that. If they will not listen to the Holy Spirit, there is no way anyone will listen to my arguments.

This morning the Holy Spirit suggests that my time and energy are better spent making sure that I have not neglected the weightier matters myself. I am not bound to the Old Testament Law, but as a Christian, I am responsible for living out the life of Christ who lives in me. That includes justice, mercy, and faith.

Justice or being just is not as easy as it sounds. God is perfectly just, yet He lets sinners live and even saves some from eternal damnation. His grace gives some evil people a long life, yet His providence allows cancer or some other awful death to young children. I know that God is just, but understanding how it works is beyond me. Obviously, His mercy is in the mix, but how does He make decisions? I don’t know.

That is the faith part and the reason I need to listen to the Holy Spirit. If God were evil, whimsical and capricious (as many seem to think) then trusting Him would be impossible. Yet He has not revealed Himself that way. His Word affirms that He knows what He is doing. Time and experience back it up. I need to pay attention and do exactly what He says, even concerning this person who attacked me.

In the bigger picture, my faith has nailed down that God is both just and merciful. I can see what He is doing, but not perfectly. His will is sometimes unclear, like a shadow behind the curtain of my limited humanity. One day that curtain will lift, but for now faith is sufficient. I can follow His leading with confidence.

On that note, to live is Christ means more than performing the externals of religious duties. It is a deep trust that God is God and that following Him is right and doing what He says will accomplish His just and merciful purposes.

Following Jesus also means that my life must become more like His each day. This transformation includes being just and merciful, but it also includes being misunderstood and even maligned. Christ knew that some who hear the gospel will reject it. Perhaps it is because their curtain is so thick that all they are able to see is darkness. 

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