What about those who mock us?

Sometimes the good that a Christian does is mocked and criticized, particularly if that good is for Jesus. The critics do not understand our priority of pleasing or blessing God. One example is the way Judas reacted to Mary’s act of worship:

“So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” (John 12:2–6)

Judas exemplifies those more interested in money than the Lord. His words about the poor were intended to make a good impression, but by those words, he demonstrated no concern at all about worship, only that he had control of the money.

In our city, a Christian organization uses a building to feed and shelter hundreds of poor and homeless people. The building is old and inadequate so they are raising funds to build a new facility. The cost is significant. Donations have come in to cover about half of it. This charitable organization has approached local government for financial help with the rest of it. The government sent an official to check it out. The report came back: We don’t want to help any group that makes people pray before they feed them.

In the first place, no one can make people pray. If someone does not want to express thanks to God for their food, even going through the motions is not prayer. However, the bigger issue is not that far from what happened when Mary blessed Jesus — the person with the moneybag wanted to be in control of the funds. He didn’t want anything given to Jesus nor did he want to help the poor, even though he said otherwise. He was only interested in controlling the money.

At this point, the funds for a new building have not been given approval and the Christian organization continues to receive donations. Perhaps God will circumvent the government and supply funds without them. Whatever happens, God will laugh at the political snub — just as the psalmist says He will:

“Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” (Psalm 2:1–12)

God has made Jesus Christ ruler of all. No matter what politicians and world leaders do or say, the Lord is in charge. Their tether is only as long as He allows and eventually all will fall under His judgment.

Not only that, as Judas plotted to kill Jesus he did not realize that God had a plan. As Peter said,

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.” (Acts 2:22–24)

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God, what Judas did was under Your sovereign control. That man was responsible for the evil he did, yet You are in charge, a concept hard to understand nevertheless true. Even now, all that our local governing authorities do or refuse to do is subject to Your sovereign will. We may not agree with or like their decisions, yet You are in charge and we can trust that Your will is done. When our leaders seem to plot against You, You laugh. May I trust You so much that I can laugh also.

Curious? Or Devious?

Years ago, there was a television show with a panel of media people who discussed various issues. Whenever the conversation turned to religion, one of them always asked, “If there is a good God, why did he kill all those people, including babies, in a flood?” The details varied, but his questions focused on a god according to his logic, not the God described in the Bible.

This is not a new tactic. The religious people of Jesus’ time on earth also asked Him questions like that, not because they wanted answers, but because they wanted to trap Jesus.

“But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’ And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.’” (Matthew 22:34–40)

Unlike the others on the television show panel or the guest panelists, Jesus always had a strong, biblical answer. He knew the basics of Scripture and the problems in the heart of the Pharisees. They believed they were right with God because they supposedly kept God’s laws. They missed the fact that no one can or does, but also that the purpose of those laws was to show them how far short they fell and how much they needed a Savior. Jesus didn’t not explain that to them though; He just raised the bar. Sometimes He asked them a question, one that they could not answer:

“Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, ‘What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?’ They said to him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’”? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?’ And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:41–46)

Today’s devotional reading demeans those who do what the Pharisees did — ask questions about religious matters out of curiosity or even out of trying to stump the people they ask. While there are no biblical answers to foolish questions like: “How many angels can stand on the head of a pin?” there are answers to many of these questions. Rather than dismiss them as wasting my time, perhaps I can do what Jesus did — ask them a question to prompt deeper thought, even encourage them to get into the Bible and find out for themselves what it says.

On one episode of that television show, the guest was a pastor. When the panelist asked his usual question about a supposedly good God and the destruction of babies in the flood, the pastor said, “If there is no good God, what would be the matter with it?” For once, the contentious panelist was silenced.

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Jesus, there are people who avoid the issues of life, yet still argue over religious matters. It is important to bring them to thoughts of deeper things and prompt them to consider You. It is also important to not disregard them as mockers, or foolish, or people who play games. Even if they are merely trying to trip me up, there is a reason behind their banter. Maybe they see something that bothers them and might be trying to dismiss it by proving I don’t know what I’m talking about. Whatever it is, give me the discernment to see deeper and to have a good response that comes from Your Word and Your heart — one that motivates them to think more deeply about life, themselves, and especially about You.

Are Christians weird?

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (Ephesians 2:19–21)

The ways of God are contrary to human thoughts. For instance, we think salvation happens to those who somehow deserve it, but God gives it freely “while we are still sinners.” We think that trials and temptation is bad, and God says, “Count it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds . . .”

The Gospel is contrary to our reasoning. The fully-God and fully-man nature of Jesus Christ is contrary to our reasoning. The commands of God only make sense if they ‘feel’ good or we can see some sort of advantage in keeping them. Humans view the things of God through human lenses and shake their heads saying this does not make sense.

It happened over and over in the New Testament. After Jesus rose from the dead (an enigma), and ascended into heaven (another enigma), His followers were having a prayer meeting. It was the day of Pentecost and “they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1–4)

How would that be received? People from every country and culture were there, and when they heard these disciples, the response was what might be expected. “Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians (said), ‘We hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.’ And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘What does this mean?’ But others mocking said, ‘They are filled with new wine.’” (Acts 2:11–13)

Some wondered what was going on, but the mockers thought these Christians were drunk. They did not see or understand that the Holy Spirit was giving them new power to share the Gospel with people of other nations. Today, missionaries go to language school, but in those days God had a different plan, one that made sense in their time and situation.

At least it makes sense to Christians. Those who are not part of the family of God thought they were drunk. Does that still happen? Not often, or if it does, unfortunately not for the same reasons. Sadly, the things we get accused of today are seldom the result of our being filled with the Spirit of God and more often the result of disobedience to God. We get accused of parking our brains at the door, and worse, and sometimes we are guilty. :-(

 

We are aware of the mockers. No one likes to be mocked, yet God warns us and tells us what to expect . . .

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. (2 Timothy 3:1–5)

Personally, if I fail to be informed, say one thing and do another, stop relying on the Holy Spirit, neglect God’s commands, and worse, I deserve to be called names and accused of ignorance, hypocrisy and worse. My only ‘excuse’ is that I am part of the Body of Christ which is made up of people who are 100% saints, but also 100% sinners. We are made righteous in the sight of God because of Jesus Christ, but in ourselves, we are a motley crew. We cannot move forward relying on our own resources, and if we do, we wind up “having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power.”

Sad as it is, relying on the resources of God often seems as weird to the church as it did to those mockers on the day of Pentecost. For that, I first must deal with my own excuses and let the Holy Spirit rule my life, not those who might misunderstand and mock me.