Whoever is ashamed of me (Jesus) … I will be ashamed of him day on that day

Jesus showed up mightily last night in a local meeting here in St. John’s. There were many, many healings, the most spectacular being a lady who had had fibromyalgia for 27 years with chronic pain and chronic fatigue. So why should I be ashamed, when He brings such life to me and others? Well there are certainly times when I should have spoken up and I didn’t, probably because I didn’t know what to say at the time, or perhaps I was afraid of the conflict.

In this paraphrase from Mark 8, Jesus tells us that if we want to go after Him, we need to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. And He further tells us, as in the title of this post, that if we are ashamed of Him in this adulterous and sinful generation, then He will be ashamed of us on that day. It’s quite a challenge!

In the West, the tyranny of political correctness is surely designed to intimidate and to shout us down. It's also difficult to know what to say. We need to know when to speak, and when to be silent. And when it’s time to speak we need to know what to say. Part of our job is to always be ready to give an answer of the hope that with us within us with meekness and with fear. The fear part here, has to do with not being judgemental, and not being reactive. In all of our relationships we need to be looking for the treasure in the other person, not the trash. Anyone can find the trash. We need help, many times, to see the treasure. It is always there, because each and every one of us is made in the image of God. We are fallen of course, so we are all a mixture of treasure and of trash!

Part of the reason for the strong opposition to the gospel and to Christian values, is that people are defensive. We know deep down when we are doing wrong, but most of us don’t want to admit it. My example, the one that I look to again and again, is of Jesus dealing with the woman caught in adultery in John 8. They had been trying to trap him into saying that she should be stoned. Jesus told them that the one without sin should cast the first stone, and convicted of their own sin, they left from the eldest to the youngest. Finally she was left alone with Jesus. “Where are those who would condemn you? He asked. “There are none Lord” she replied. “Neither do I condemn you” was Jesus response “go and sin no more!”

Jesus did not condemn, but neither did he condone. We need to do that, and do it with the same love, grace and understanding that Jesus showed.

Father, give me the serenity to keep my mouth shut when I’m not supposed to speak. Please give me the courage and the wisdom to speak when I should, and also the wisdom to know when I should do the one, or the other. In Jesus name amen