What Bothers You?

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” (1 Peter 4:12-13)

One of the challenging questions of every generation is to discern and disentangle the relationship of the Church to the world. In some generations, we have answered that question well, standing stalwart against a rising tide of sin and misery; other times, the Church simply went along to get along. The language typically used in the latter case is “contextualization,” or “speaking the language of the times.” But let’s just call a spade a spade – that was a dereliction of duty. So, how are we to understand our place in this particular generation? Instead of analyzing the multiple tomes of Church history, we should look to the source, to Jesus Christ. How did Christ exist in the world?

Christ “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.” (Acts 10:38) When John sent words of doubt through his disciples, Jesus replied: “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” (Luke 7:22-23) Did you catch that blessing? Jesus provides everything of which the Old Testament foretold, Jesus fulfilled the desires of every longing heart, and Jesus offended people. Why? Because Jesus was not of the world. He didn’t play their games, nor did He nod and wink at their unrighteousness. No, He brought their sin to light so that He could save them. And yet, even in the first century, no one enjoys having their dirty laundry exposed, regardless of the result.

Now, here we stand in the 21st century, and our relationship with the world has not improved. Everything from human rights to hospitals owe their existence to the influence of Christianity, and yet Jesus’ words ring true: “They hated me without a cause.” (John 15:25) We proclaim to the world an everlasting inheritance, secured by the precious blood of Jesus Christ for sinners, and the world “rewards me evil for good, and hatred for my love.” (Ps. 109:5) Does that bother you? It bothers me.

And yet, as our dear Savior, our response cannot be to change the message nor alter the mission; our response is to continue proclaiming the gospel, even if it kills us. If the cross with all the mocking, with all its shame, with all its animosity belonging to that inhumane vehicle of death – if that cross was the pulpit from which Christ preached love to the world, then we have no reason to stop proclaiming the evils of sin and the redeeming love of God. A little opposition cannot hinder the gospel of grace.