Thoughts for Thursday 7th May, 2020

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; Genesis 12:1-3; Acts 6:8-15

Thursday 7 May 2020 - Rev. Jerry Eve

You do sort of wonder why anyone would want to be a Christian, or indeed a member of any other Abrahamic faith when you read the sorts of passages we have today. They’re interesting, so long as it’s someone else the events they recount are happening to. A problem arises though when we realise that our faith demands we try to emulate them ourselves.

The first has David speaking about a ‘trap’ that has been set for him. In the second, Abram is called to leave everything he holds dear, and risk his life – for none of the usual reasons people emigrate – in order to make an extremely arduous journey to a place where, as soon as he gets there, there’s a famine and he has to move again!

Last of all we have the beginning of the story of Stephen, and we all know what happened to him.

We look to our faith to help us, to keep us safe, and to improve our lives. We do want, as God tells Abram, to be blessed rather than cursed. But so often, it seems to be the very opposite. In fact, it can be hard to think of a notable Christian whose life hasn’t been complicated, if not actually endangered, and often mortally so, by becoming the faithful follower of Jesus Christ they are then remembered for.

Which, when we think about it is hardly surprising. If we seek to follow someone who was crucified, then some of us are going to end up being crucified as well. I did, though, always wonder about the last of the beatitudes, which when I recite them I do tend to leave out: ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted . . .’ (Matthew 5:11). ‘What’s that about?’ I sometimes think. ‘Didn’t Jesus say he came to give us life in all its fullness!’ (John 10:10).

Well, yes. But it is a sort of no as well. Not that we can take just any old hardship that happens to us willy-nilly, however bitter it may be, and think that’s a cross we have to bear. (Our faith can, I believe, though, help us to cope with those sorts of trials which we all have to face, some more than others unfortunately.) The persecution Jesus is talking about, though, is different. For, to complete the beatitude, Jesus said, ‘. . . because of righteousness.’ Which, because righteousness is its own reward, whatever the outcome, does actually make our lives much fuller as a result.

The question for us today: which of these three (Abram, who God then called Abraham i.e. ancestor of many nations, David or Stephen) was the most righteous? Answers, please, on the usual postcard.

Let us pray:

Sovereign God,
we worship You
and we acknowledge that You know all of those
who suffer in Your name.

We remember those who are imprisoned for their faith
and ask that they would join with the Apostle Paul
to see that even though they remain captive,
their chains have furthered the gospel,
not frustrated it.

May they inspire and embolden their fellow believers
to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly.

God of all comfort,
for those who are tortured both in body and mind,
give them the grace to endure
and to see their suffering as part of following in Christ’s footsteps.

Merciful God,
for those asked to pay the ultimate price;
who are martyred because of their love for You,
may they truly know Christ
and the power of His resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings,
becoming like Him in His death.

Father God,
for those who are widowed and orphaned
may they know the comfort that comes from Your promised presence
even when they walk through the valley.

May they be strengthened by Your Spirit,
enabling them to rejoice with the psalmist
as they proclaim that the Lord will not abandon them in death.

Heavenly Father,
we ask that You would make us ever mindful of our brothers and sisters around the world
who need us to stand with them
as they suffer in Your name.

Teach us what it means
to overcome by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of our testimony;
we pray that we would not love our lives so much as to shrink from death.

O Lord, hear our prayer,

Amen. (Release International)

 

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