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WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN FOR?
EVERY CHRISTIAN A WITNESS
Very few of us live transparent lives, open for all to see. Few
of us show ourselves to the world exactly as we are without trying
to guard some things from public view. We are strongly inclined
to carry on a continuous "public relations" program with
our fellow men. The good things about us are deliberately placed
out in front while the un-pleasant things are buried from sight.
If you are an expert at checkers or if you are skillful with a musical
instrument, you don't mind a bit how widely this is known. If you
happen to be a friend of the congress-man from your district or
if you're an officer in the union, you don't object if people mention
this once-in-a-while.
But there are a few things you'd rather people did not know. Perhaps
you made a foolish mistake when you were young ... a mistake you've
regretted a thousand times. The very memory of it makes you feel
ashamed. This you keep to yourself. Or perhaps there is an odd habit
that you engage in to quiet your nerves. Your friends would rock
with laughter if they knew. Maybe you chew rubber bands or suck
your thumb when no one is looking. Perhaps you're hysterically afraid
of thunder or dogs or germs or mice. Naturally you're not going
to tell the world about these things.
We let the public see those things about us which will give us status
and importance. We hide those things which might make us the objects
of ridicule or disdain.
The fact that Peter was a disciple of Jesus was open and public
for several years...Peter was glad to be known as a disciple of
Jesus. Who wouldn't be proud to be associated with the greatest
sensation to hit Israel since the days of Moses? You can imagine
the satisfaction that warmed Peter's soul when some of his old friends
would say,
"Are you really one of the disciples of Jesus?"
“Of course… I've been in this movement from the ground
floor."
Peter had never had so much attention. Peter was never so im-portant
as he was during those golden years. But suddenly everything changed.
At noon on one particular day it was still a mark of distinction
to be regarded as a disciple of this Jesus.... by midnight it was
a dis-grace. Peter was still a disciple. He did not run away to
hide like some of the others. But now Peter wants to keep the fact
that he's a disciple to himself...he wants it to be a secret.
"Hey, you over there! Weren't you with Jesus of Nazareth?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
For the first time since he began with Jesus it was dangerous to
be known as a disciple ... and Peter does the natural thing ...
he denies Jesus. He's afraid to admit to the world how much he loves
that man they have on trial.
We know what Peter was going through because the world we're living
in has no more time for Jesus Christ than the people in the palace
of the high priest did on that evil night. We too measure the risk.
And how many times we do exactly as Peter did ... we deny that we
know Jesus. We act and speak as if we had no connection with Jesus
whatsoever. We're afraid to admit that we love him ... that we call
upon his name day by day... that we commune with him constantly.
Mind you, we're not ashamed to admit that we belong to Good Shepherd
Church ... nobody is going to persecute us for that. We're not ashamed
to admit that we have certain "religious convictions."
We don't mind pro-fessing that we have a certain amount of "faith."
The world doesn't put people on the spot for being religious or
going to church or having faith ... it nails people for belonging
to Jesus. That's where the heat is applied ... to your relationship
to Jesus. Do you have the courage to admit that you belong to Jesus?
Do you have the boldness to speak, not of your church or of your
religious opinions, but of Jesus himself?
Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess
before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me
before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
Why are we afraid to speak about Jesus? Why are we afraid to admit
that we know him? Why are we afraid to share the things he has told
us? The answer is very simple ... because what men think of us means
more to us than what God thinks of us.
Among the chief rulers also, many believed on him; but because of
the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put
out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than
the praise of God.
Of course our tongues will never have the courage to confess Jesus
Christ out in the world until we settle this issue ... is our disciple-ship
to Jesus going to be a secret? Or are we prepared to let it be openly
known and suffer whatever the consequences may be?
Some time ago I met a friend I hadn't seen since college days. In
school he wasn't exactly a radiant Christian. If he had any relation-ship
with Jesus at that time one would never have known it. In those
days he looked upon me as the Christian. He would ask questions
and we would discuss Christianity. I was always careful not to offend
him... not to give the impression of being a fanatic. I managed
to keep his respect for my intelligence but I never brought him
an inch closer to knowing my Lord. During the intervening years
this man came to know Jesus Christ. And now as we met again, he
didn't beat around the bush... he didn't try to convince me of his
sophistication. He talked quite simply and plainly about the most
important treasure of his life.... Jesus. I knew he was paying a
price for talking like that. He was allowing himself to be openly
branded as an odd ball and a fanatic... but this made no difference
to him. He confessed without a trace of affectation or self-consciousness
or shame that he was a follower of Jesus ... and what a follower
he is!
Since I met this man, again, I've done a lot of thinking. I am convinced
that if we are ever going to find the liberty to speak of Jesus
out in the world as we ought to, there are three things we are going
to have to stop:
1. We’re going to have to stop being
ashamed.
Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in
this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the son
of man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with
the holy angels.
Why do we hide our connection with Jesus Christ from the eyes of
the world? ... because we're ashamed. We're ashamed to let our friends
and relatives and enemies and associates know that we've thrown
in our lot with Jesus Christ. Look around you and see the courage
of people who have attached themselves to things far less than Jesus.
They take hold of red-hot issues and turn all their friends against
them, but they're not ashamed. People are suffering and dying for
the cause of pacifism, world peace, civil rights, not in the name
of God or of his Son, but simply in the name of justice and decency.
Where are the Christians? .... hiding. They haven't even come out
far enough to admit that they're Jesus' disciples.
We are utterly useless to God and his kingdom until we get over
this hurdle of being ashamed to acknowledge Jesus Christ before
men. May God, by his Spirit, replace our shame with divine boldness
even as he did in the heart of Peter.
2. We're going to have to stop living a double life.
We laugh at the ethics professor at the university who inspires
his pupils with every lecture and looks like a saint if there ever
was one. But every once-in-a-while he takes a Saturday train to
the big city, forgets all his ethics and really "lives it up."
Is this very different from what we do when we come into our churches
and confess our faith in Jesus and pray our little hearts out...
and then we get lost in the world and act as though we never heard
of Jesus Christ? In many cases the name "Jesus" doesn't
cross our lips from the time we leave the door until we come back
inside the following week ... except perhaps in private prayer.
But how can our private prayers be prayed in Jesus' name if our
daily life isn't lived in Jesus' name? If we are open about being
disciples in church God help us to be open about our discipleship
in the world.
3. We're going to have to stop worrying about the consequences.
The reason we're so shy and secretive about our relationship
to Christ is that we're afraid of what might happen if people find
out. Of course something might happen! Suppose it does. Suppose
everything you feared came to pass. You take the cover off your
relationship with Jesus and you lose friends ... you lose the respect
of many people… you become an object of ridicule. Suppose
you even suffer economic loss... you become poorer.
Suppose you are even killed for being a disciple ...
what does it matter? If Jesus Christ is your Lord, isn't it more
im-portant for you to be faithful to him than to be safe?
The temptation which came to Peter that night in the palace of the
high priest is the foreshadowing of a temptation which every Christian
has to face. Sooner or later the world will put you in a position
where you will have to give an answer. Are you a disciple or are
you not? You will be tempted to deny it. Too many times we have
done exactly what Peter did ... we have flatly denied that we belong
to Jesus Christ by our words, by our actions, by our silence.
Until we get over this elementary hurdle... until we have the courage
to say quite simply and frankly to the world that we are followers
of Jesus ... that we do love him...that he is our Lord, our Christianity
will never amount to anything more than a coward's game of hide
and seek.
May God through his Spirit supply to us the boldness we so des-perately
need, that we may stop being ashamed... stop living double lives...
quit worrying about the consequences ... and let our relationship
to Jesus be an open, clear, public fact, never to be concealed from
anyone again.
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