Endure

Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. [Hebrews 12:3 NLT]

A glutton, a winebibber, a lunatic, a demon possessed heretic. Just some of the things many of the people said Jesus was. He fed thousands with a little boy’s lunch, He made better wine than they had at a wedding party for the guests to drink; He confounded the Rabbis’ when He was just a boy. He cast out demons from those possessed by them. So how could they say all those things about Him? The human nature of people has not changed since that day in Eden. You remember; the day the devil lied on God. Ever since then the devil has been working to convince sinful people that Jesus is of no importance. As the human race has been given more knowledge by God and greater tools of research that we might discover even more truths about Him; the devil is still working to convince us it is all a lie. Jesus told His first followers, “If they hate you it is because they hated Me first.” Did you know that because you are a follower of Christ you are automatically an offence to a non believer? You may try your best to show them love and respect but they still consider you an enemy. It is not anything you have done personally but Who it is that lives in you. Jesus rubbed people the wrong way. They either came to accept His message of Gods forgiveness for their hostility toward God, or they had nothing to do with Him at all. People who do not like to be told the truth about themselves find justification in their animosity toward God by transferring their feelings toward Him upon His followers. You have not done anything to them but yet they are hostile toward you. Saying things about you such as; “he’s a goodie good,” or perhaps, “She’s a hypocrite, I know who she really is.” Many say the same thing to us as they said to Jesus; “Who do you think you are?” When Jesus commanded us to “bless those that curse us” it was for our benefit; not theirs. If the enemy can convince us to quit turning the other cheek and hate them just as they hate us, he has once again accomplished his goal of smearing Gods reputation among earthlings. Jesus never showed hostility toward anyone but He never quit showing the love of God to them either. We live in a world that is still hostile toward Christ so don’t expect it to treat His followers any different. Endure it; as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.