Afraid of opposition

How should we who are believers in and followers of Jesus the Messiah deal with opposition? I mean specifically opposition to Christianity, opposition to the fact that we believe Jesus is the Messiah for all people and following him is the way to experience real life.  Since we follow Jesus, it’s imperative that we understand how he dealt with opposition and therefore how he leads us today to deal with opposition.

It’s not “natural” to follow Jesus and his way. I’m sure you know that there are basically two “natural” ways humans handle opposition: flight or fight. Due to fear, we either run away from an opponent or stand up to and do battle against the opponent.  (The opponent may not be a person. It may be a situation or even an animal. Opposition may not be physical. It may be emotional or psychological or spiritual. It can be anything that threatens us in some way.)

Let me put flight and fight in other terms.

Flight means we seek protection from the opponent or the opposition. We try to get to a safe space where the opposition cannot get to us and harm us or we try to change the conditions so the opposition cannot get to us and harm us.

Fight means we seek power over the opponent or the opposition. We try to dominate and defeat the person or thing that is threatening so they are rendered powerless to harm us.

Let’s say one night you find that a band of rogue ferrets has invaded your property. They tear up the lawn, the shrubs, the trees, and rose bushes. They turn over trash cans, rip down gutters, strip off shingles, and slash car tires. They congregate at your front and back doors, bang on the walls, and leap at the windows, trying to get inside your home and do you and your family and your pets bodily harm. Opposition.

You can flee the ferrets. You put your house on the market, don’t mention the ferrets in the Zillow listing, and move away. Or you can build a 12 foot stainless steel (it’s slick and unclimbable) wall around your property. Either way, the ferrets cannot get to you. You’re now protected from ferret harm.

You can fight the ferrets. You attain and use some kind of weapon – shotguns, poison, hand grenades, flamethrowers, Pit Bulls, etc. – and kill the ferrets or at least kill enough that the survivors stay away from your property and go to your neighbors down the street. The ferrets are defeated, exterminated, and you’re safe.

Flight or fight, protection from or power over: the “natural” ways for humans to handle opposition.

Jesus did neither. He didn’t flee nor did he fight. He didn’t seek protection from the people who opposed him. He didn’t exert power over the people who were against him. What did he do? How did our Lord and Leader handle opposition?

First, Jesus remained faithful to his mission, the reason he came into the world. He was clear and public with the message he was sharing (Mark 1:15). He unswervingly made his way to the cross for the redemption of the world. There were times when he avoided or pulled away from opposition but those were only temporary. Jesus did not let anyone or anything keep him from his mission.

Second, Jesus loved his enemies. “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing,” he prayed while on the cross (Luke 23:34).  Jesus was a humble, compassionate servant. There were times when he was angry with his opponents (Mark 3:5), but being angry doesn’t necessarily mean not loving. Philippians 2:5-7 teaches us “Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Just the fact that he came into our world indicates his love; he found a way for Holy God to come into the fallen world for the good of rebellious humanity.

Third, Jesus died as the sacrifice that reconciles and redeems. He gave his life as the atonement for all people’s sin (1 John 2:2). He made peace and secured freedom – “he put to death their hostility” (Ephesians 2:16). This is even how he defeated Satan (Colossians 2:15), not by blasting or legislating him away. Jesus overcame opposition by sacrifice.

We are instructed to handle opposition the same way Jesus did (1 Peter 2:21-23; 4:1).

Clearly proclaim, broadcast, share the gospel of the Kingdom of God for all people. This is our primary mission (Matthew 28:18-20). Don’t get sidetracked with a different message (i.e. build back better or make America great or follow your dreams) and don’t change the gospel into something it is not (i.e. eternal fire insurance or path to prosperity or moralistic therapeutic deism or a way to be religious). Whatever opposition arises, keep announcing the good news and offering Jesus’ invitation: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

The mission and message must be presented in love. We can be accurate with our theology and apologetics, but if we do not love those who oppose us, we’re wasting our time and efforts (1 Corinthians 13) and probably doing more harm than good. We must handle opposition by being humble, compassionate servants to our opponents.

Make the sacrifices that bring peace and freedom. We can’t insist all our civil rights are honored and assured but be willing to live without them if that will benefit our mission (see 1 Corinthians 9:11-23 for an example). We can’t just look out for our own interests, preferences, comforts, and safety. The good news of redemption was established by sacrifice and it must be lived and shared by sacrifice.

Jesus’ way to handle opposition has an “unnatural” view of the people who oppose us. Instead of seeing them merely as enemies, even though they may view us as enemies, we see them as fellow human beings loved by God. They are not adversaries from whom we need to be protected or who we need to defeat. They are adversaries for whom we need to care and who we need to redeem. This “unnatural” way can happen only as we live by faith in Jesus, believe in his way, and depend on his Spirit’s strength and wisdom in our hearts.

We Christians in America definitely face opposition to the gospel. There are people who want to eliminate our beliefs in Jesus as Lord of all. But I don’t think we can say we face real persecution yet. Under real persecution our adversaries will want to use the power of the state to eliminate us in order to eliminate our beliefs. For an example of real persecution, read Tortured for His Faith by Haralan Popov.

Persecution may be coming. In fact, it may be coming for reasons different than you think.

A few months ago, I read an article that may give some indication of this. I didn’t keep a record of it, and I can’t find it now, so I can’t provide specific information like names and places. If anyone recognizes this account, please let me know.

The article told about an American Christian talking with a Christian (a pastor if I remember correctly) from Cuba. The American assured the Cuban that he and his church were praying for Cuban Christians who are being persecuted, specifically that the persecution would end. The Cuban replied (my paraphrase): “No, no. The church is purified and strengthened by persecution. Don’t pray for persecution to end. Pray that we will be strong and stay faithful and obedient to God through the persecution.” The American was surprised at such a response. But the Cuban Christian continued (again my paraphrase), “I’ll tell you something you may not like to hear. We Cubans are praying that American Christians will be persecuted so your church can be purified and strengthened.”

Opposition may become actual persecution. It will be for our good. Part of the way to be ready for persecution, to be able to be strong and faithful through it, is to deal with the current opposition by being strong and faithful, which means following Jesus and his way of handling opponents.