Questions from The Master

So, there are tons of people who don't think like me. A day doesn't go by without me running into someone who offers a very different opinion on a topic than I would confer with...or an article in the paper that decisively goes against "my grain", or something on television that proports truth, yet is determined to be the opposite of what I would argue "truth" to be.

Isn't that just the way life is...how do we handle it? I know in certain experiences that really tug on my heart I (at first) may want to respond with a defensive remark...or worse, an offensive retort (hey, there's a difference between temptation and sinful action). Sometimes I wonder what it all will accomplish. There's so many differences...I mean, take a look at Christianity, for example...6,000 different denominations? That's a trajedy! There are so many different "takes" on the Holy Word of God that we have 6,000 different opinions on it? I guess there is some continuity...but some differences none-the-less.

I have recently been advised to look both retrospectively as well as introspectively into the response of Jesus to his people...especially their attacks. It is amazing to notice that Jesus uses (quite frequently I might add) a question to respond to his opponents. What a great idea...while someone is attacking, if we see the "bottom-line" of their argument and can help them reconsider the difference of opinion by staging a great introspective question that may uncover some inconsistency in their position.

But what a difficult job! To be able to do that would mean that we would need to be equipped not only with our own journey in that topic, but fully understanding the truth, we must also be fully capable of understanding their side in all its forms and functions. That takes time to research all sides of the argument, commitment to not fall short on the job, and perseverence to keep at it in a loving way in order to reach the possibility that the opposition may just laugh, or worse, curse at you, and walk the other way. Actually, we know from history that Christians were often attacked for their opinion...we call them martyrs. And what brave souls they must have been. It is also amazing to see how many people fully followed Christ to their dying breath...just like Jesus...praying for their attackers while responding only with truth...in love! Look at Stephen, the first recorded martyr, while being stoned to death literally prayed for his murderers (see Acts 6-8...esp. 7:60)...or how about James the Just, who prayed for his murderers...here is an exerpt taken from Hegesippus (Book 5 of his Memoirs) found in the writings of Eusebius:

[Administration of] the church passed to James, the brother of the Lord, along with the apostles. He was called "the Just" by everyone from the Lord's time to ours, since there were many Jameses, but this one was consecrated from his mother's womb. He drank no wine or liquor and ate no meat. No razor came near his head, he did not anoint himself with oil, and took no baths. He alone was permitted to enter the sanctum, for he wore not wool but linen. He used to enter the temple alone and was often found kneeling and imploring forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like a camel's from his continual kneeling in worship of God and in prayer for the people. Because of his superior righteousness he was called the Jus and Oblias-meaning, in Greek, "Bulwark of the People" and "Righteousness"-as the prophets declare regarding him.

Representatives of the seven sects among the [Jewish] people, which I previously described (in the Memoirs), asked him what "the door of Jesus" meant, and he replied that he was the Savior. Because of this, some believed that Jesus was the Christ. The sects mentioned above did not believe in a resurrection or in One who is coming to reward each according to his deeds, but those who did believe did so because of James. Now, since many even of the rulers believed, there was an uproar among the Jews, scribes, and Pharisees saying that the whole populace was in danger of expecting Jesus as the Christ. So they assembled and said to James: "We call on you to restrain the people, since they have gone astray after Jesus, believing him to be the Christ. We call on you to persuade all who come for the Passover concerning Jesus, since all of us trust you. We and the entire populace can vouch for the fact that you are righteous and take no one at face value. So do persuade the crowd not to err regarding Jesus, since we and all the people respect you. So stand on the parapet of the temple, where you can be clearly seen from that height and your words be heard by all the people with all the tribes, and Gentiles too, gathered for the Passover."

So the scribes and Pharisees made James stand on the temple parapet, and they shouted to him, "O righteous one, whom we all ought to believe, since the people are going astray after Jesus who was crucified, tell us, what does 'the door of Jesus' mean?" He replied with a loud voice, "Why do you ask me about the Som of Man? He is sitting in heaven at the right hand of the Great Power, and he will come on the clouds of heaven." Many were convinced and rejoiced at James's testimony, crying, "Hosanna to the Son of David." Then the scribes and Pharisees said to each other, "We made a bad mistake in providing such testimony to Jesus, but let us go up and throw him down so that they will be afraid and not believe him." And they cried out, "Oh, oh, even the just one has gone astray!" This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "Let us remove the just man, for he is unprofitable to us. Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their works."

So they went up and threw down the righeous one. Then they said to each other, "Let us stone James the Just," and they began to stone him, since the fall had not killed him. But he turned and knelt down, saying, "I implore you, O Lord, God and Father, forgive them: they do not know what they are doing." While they were pelting him with stones, one of the preists among the sons of the Rechabites, to whom the prophet Jeremiah bore witness, cried out, "Stop! What are you doing? The righteous one is praying for you." Then one of them, a laundryman, took the club that he used to beat out clothes and hit the Just on the head. Such was his martyrdom. They buried him on the spot by the temple, and his gravestone is still there by the temple. He became a true witness to both Jews and Gentiles that Jesus is the Christ."

What an amazing account of love, even in the face of hate. A strong witness and stronger faith.

What about us? What about Jesus, the Master. He often responded with a thought provoking question to lovingly help another see the truth. He finally was hated and killed for his knowledge and strong stance with the truth. Do you yield and give in when truth screams otherwise? How far would you be willing to go in order to love someone enough to express the truth in spite of dire consequences? Thank Jesus, who was willing to make the full commitment to truth, bearing the full consequences!