The “church” is called to be a thorn in the side of the enemy. Jesus did not always see eye to eye with the leaders or society of His day. Likewise His followers caused trouble everywhere there went. If you are following Jesus you should expect difficult times to come. Indeed, life with Jesus will bring times of trial. This life is full of sorrow and unexpected season of grief and hardship. The question for us is how will we face persecution? If you were questioned for your faith, how would you handle it? Would we bend under the pressure and intimidate of others or stand firm?
Real Christianity is much like a cockroach. Why do I say this? What could cockroaches and Christians possibly have in common? One rests atop the food chain, a mammoth compared to the other; yet, the other though it is small and lowly can be a menace to get rid of. A cockroach has a firm protective outer skeleton making them hard to kill. It can take many years to get rid of an infestation of roaches. Cockroaches are infectious and annoying. If you have ever dealt with cockroaches you understand that they just won't give up, they won't give up on you until their mission is complete or their time is done.
Much the same way to the world Christians are viewed the same way. Christianity is a threat to sinful society. Do not be alarmed when you hear sinful society, government policies, and anti-Christian groups trying to stop Christianity and stuff it out. Again don’t be surprised when Satan our enemy acts like our enemy. This world and sinful society is controlled by the Enemy of our God, Satan. Satan’s desire is to destroy the prize of God, us. It stands to reason that if the devil is roaming the earth looking for those who he can destroy that there would be groups who are hostile to the Church and to biblical Christianity.
Satan is the prince of this world. Therefore, don’t be alarmed when people outside the church attack those who profess to be followers of Jesus. Yet what is really alarming is when “church people” attack and gossip about another brother or sister. We should be shocked when Christians are tearing down other Christians. We should not hear anything from one Christian attacking another.
That is what was happening in our text. A group of religious bullies were attacking and name calling one of their own. This happens today but those people are not full of the spirit of God rather the spirit of Satan. There are a number of principals brought out by our passage. Most importantly, our brotherly love is being tested daily in the way we treat one another and respond to criticism, threats, and attacks. The apostle were harshly treated everywhere they went yet their response proved that they were of God.
Are there areas in your life as a follower of Jesus that your brotherly love is being tested? As a church body are there areas in which our brotherly love is being tested? I pray that in everything we say and do that we will walk in faith and love. Let brotherly love continue in our body for you may never know when you are being tested and tried. Some have even entertained angels unaware. God is gracious and gives us many opportunities to change our behaviors just as he did with the Pharisees and the council of the Jewish leaders. Ultimately the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their traditions led them to judgment. Be careful how you walk as an individual and as a body for this may indeed be a test.
How will we score?
