Category: Persecution

Living in the cross-hairs

If the gospel is good news for the whole world, what’s it like to live the gospel? Surely it’s the best life we could possibly have?

That’s true in the long term. Life under Jesus’ kingship is indeed the best life earth could ever know. There will be no more selfishness when the poor inherit the kingdom, no more abuse of power when the meek inherit the earth.

But in the short term, it’s not quite so simple. Can we live selflessly while people take advantage of us? What happens if we live powerlessly in the face of abusive powers? Won’t we get crucified?

Continue reading “Living in the cross-hairs”

Conflict of kingdoms (Matthew 5:10-12)

Working for King Jesus makes you a threat to those want to run the world.

Open Matthew 5:10-12.

Jesus’ vocation was to return the world to where it belonged, under God’s reign. He did not expect those who claimed to run the world to simply hand it over. He knew they would oppose him and his followers, just as they had killed the prophets before him. He knew this would be a life and death struggle, for himself and his followers.

Jesus did not train his followers to fight back. He did not promise God would magically rescue us. Instead, he taught us to see our suffering as instantiating God’s kingship. Continue reading “Conflict of kingdoms (Matthew 5:10-12)”