Represent
Jesus was honest about what it might mean to represent Him to a less than receptive world. He didn't say, "I send you out to enjoy 10 steps to a better life," or "Go and prosper in every way!" No, He was up front thevery first time He sent out His disciples. He said, "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves" (Matt. 10:16). In other words, don't expect a great reception as you represent the King. In fact, you can expect quite the opposite. It goes without saying that sheep don't generally fare well in the midst of wolves. Then Jesus went on to give them some details about what they could expect in the future.
Well here we are in the future and of course Jesus was right! The more overtly we represent Christ, the more virulent the opposition. However, as our culture slips further away from its Judeo-Christian moorings, even what used to be considered incidental references to our faith heritage are seen as overt and are being subjected to attack. Under pressure from groups like "Freedom From Religion Foundation," the ACLU and "Americans for the Separation of Church and State," many public squares, schools and institutions that used to include Christian holiday décor, voluntary student-led prayer, or monuments celebrating our biblical roots, are now made “religion-free zones.”
A graphic picture of Jesus' warning about being “sheep in the midst of wolves” is currently in the news. There has been much coverage of the pending confirmation of a new Justice on the Supreme Court. A big part of the conversation has had to do with her faith. Being Catholic, she is seen as representing the moral and ethical standards of the Bible rather than those of our increasingly secular humanist society. For many key leaders this represents an impediment to her fitness to sit on the Court. The obvious implication is that if she were an atheistic individual who rejected absolute truth, her credibility would be less questionable. What Jesus said about the future is here.
How should Christians respond? We should get involved in the process. Our system allows us to vote, our voice can be heard. The right laws and political leaders can make a difference. However, changed hearts have more effective control over people's actions than laws that only law-abiding citizens keep. It is God's Law, His Word, that transforms hearts and minds by the power of the Holy Spirit. It is no mystery that we need revival, not more rulings from a corrupt earthly authority. Yet it seems the darker things get, the more the light is driven away rather than sought.
At a very dark time in Israel’s history God chose to be silent. It followed the record we see in the book of Judges, which ends with the ominous summary, “…everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Utter rejection of God and His many gracious acts of forgiveness and restoration, despite Israel’s cycles of sin, had led to God cut off communication through His prophets for a period of about 400 years. Breaking the silence in Matthew 3 is John the Baptist. His was a voice coming out of the darkness, speaking for God, pointing people to Christ. He was the answer to the people’s prayers for hope in a hopeless time. Initially they flocked to him. But after having the audacity to get a little too personal in pointing out the sin of someone in a position of power, his head was unceremoniously separated from his body. That’s what wolves do to sheep.
So the lesson is this: don’t expect to be thanked for representing Christ or the righteousness He represents. Light and darkness don’t coexist. Sheep and wolves don’t share habitats. But until we inhabit the Millennial Kingdom or heaven itself, we represent Christ in a world hostile to Him. Keep holding forth His Truth in a loving and winsome way, despite His warning of dire consequences.
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;” —1 Peter 1:14–15