"MORE THAN THESE:" OF LOVE AND SACRIFICE

2 Kings 18:13-19:37; Acts 21:1-17; Psalm 149:1-9; Proverbs 18:8

“This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: ‘On what are you basing this confidence of yours?’”

“…We and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But he said, ‘Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.’ When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’”

“For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.”

What makes a person so confident in their faith that they are willing not only to face imprisonment for the sake of Jesus Christ, but death itself if that’s what it takes to make the Gospel real for others? It’s nearly impossible even to imagine being in such a position from the comfort of my living room and the relative security of my job, bank account and family. Sacrifice from this perspective has a very different definition, one that, in thinking about it, is actually a little embarrassing. I’ve deluded myself into thinking sacrifice means putting a little extra in the offering plate on occasion, or going just a little out of my way to help some worthy cause. Deliberately running the risk of actually losing all I hold dear, of being so sold out on Christ that literally nothing else matters as much, is such a foreign idea it never really even crosses my mind. Faith is not a comparative process, but still, I cannot begin to fathom the depth of character and commitment that motivated Paul to return to Jerusalem knowing he would be facing all the worst miseries a civilization can inflict on its citizens, right down to martyrdom. And I feel pretty sure that’s my loss. The point is not whether I’m in Paul’s position, but whether I have Paul’s heart for the Gospel. Being honest with myself and with God, it’s pretty clear I don’t. As hard as it is to face, I identify much more easily with Peter in his betrayal of Christ, or with the rich young ruler. I’d like to think I’d hang in there with Jesus whatever the cost, but there’s a big part of me that seriously questions my true commitment, and probably, rightly so.

I guess I should be grateful I’ve never been tested to the extent any of the early disciples were tested in their faith. One can be pretty glib when pontificating about the blessings of Christ when all one really knows is security. It’s easier to talk about faith adventures and challenges when one doesn’t have a lot at risk. The best answers come quickly when one doesn’t ask the tough questions. So, let’s just stop a second to ask a few tough questions. What would we willingly put on the altar of Christ if it came down to it? Would we sacrifice comfort, security and even our families for the sake of Christ? If not, why not?

I’d like to rationalize around all this by saying I believe my family is a sacred trust from God for which I am responsible as the spiritual head, and that my job, etc., are the tools the Spirit has provided which allow me to minister most effectively to them. But it’s only a small step from there to recognize what I really mean is that I’d probably put family over the Holy Spirit if it came down to it. Is that so wrong? Perhaps not. God’s big enough to handle it. Besides, the Lord has entrusted me with family and friends. In a very real way, they are my mission field. But what it all comes down to is one very painful question, the same one Christ asked of the Big Fisherman himself: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” That is a very tough question indeed, and it is likely the only one that really matters. When push comes to shove, the Lord wants our hearts, not our sacrifices.

My personal bias is that those who ignore their families because they are lost in their supposed passion for Christ have something deeply wrong with their priorities. Those who do not present and represent the Gospel first to their families have never, in my experience, presented a compelling case for the Gospel that stood the test of time. In fact, I actually know several individuals who went to so many Bible studies, church meetings and retreats that their children ended up hating Christ as a competitor for their parents’ affection. I suspect this made God’s heart heavy, not happy. But in every circumstance I can think of, what these individuals clearly wanted interpreted as “submission to Christ” was little more than “abdication of responsibility.” It was easier for them to claim to be sold out to Christ than to admit the emptiness in their own lives that actually made faith an escape from the harsher realities of life. Their idea of religious sacrifice became just another avoidance technique.

We are called to give ourselves first to Christ, but only so He can give us back to the world as the disciples He created us to be. For every individual, discipleship translates differently. The one immutable fact is that it has little to do with the ritual of religion but everything to do with where God has seen fit to place us in this life. We are not all called to give up families, friends or even our creature comforts. These can all be tools of evangelism, used properly in their proper priorities. Maybe instead of feeling guilty about whether we are sacrificing enough for God, a better, healthier perspective would be to ask if we are using all we have to benefit the Kingdom. Christ died to free us from guilt – all guilt. He made us to live freely in him. It is not our place to compare ourselves to others, or to question our faith because it looks different than the martyrs’. If every disciple became a martyr, Christianity would have died out long ago. Christ does not necessarily ask us to give up our blessings. He asks only, “Do you love me more than these?”