FROM THE PULPIT: WE ARE NOT TO JUDGE AND CONDEMN

Jesus promised his disciples many things. One of his promises was our sure encounter with adversity and the reality of religious persecution in this world. With Jesus we have peace, yet our faithful existence in an unbelieving world creates tension and conflict because of our beliefs (John 16:33).

The good news is that Jesus has overcome the world. Through his death on the cross, Jesus gained the victory. The bad news is that we'll still encounter persecution, even though Christ gives us the power to persevere through our distress and adversity.

How do we handle the rejection and outright persecution brought against us for our faith? As Jesus and his disciples reached out to a Samaritan village (Luke 9:51-56), the people rejected them. The disciples felt the stinging rejection personally and asked Jesus what they should do.

"Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" asked James and John. A quick look at this response is that it's quite natural. We've been rejected, so let's get even. Let's settle the score. Let's put them in their place and give them what they deserve. Let's judge and condemn them all in one swipe.

Their response even has a biblical precedent. Elijah did the same thing (see 2 Kings chapter 1). Why not let those terrible Samaritans feel the wrath of the God they reject?

This model of conflict resolution is very popular these days. When someone disagrees with you, the first response is to tear them apart. If you can't defeat their argument, attack them personally. Insult their mother. Or even better yet, give them the silent treatment. Break off your fellowship and refuse to speak to them. Treat them as if they were dead. That will show them who is right!

Jesus, however, rebukes the disciples and their desire for revenge. The time is not for judgment, even for the Samaritans' wrongful response. The time is for invitation, an invitation to accept God's grace before God's judgment comes. Does this mean we are to do nothing?

Certainly this does not rule out warnings of personal accountability for sinful behavior. We still must call sin a sin, and our job is to call people into repentance through a ministry of reconciliation. Yet the execution of judgment is not up to us. The day for judgment will come in God's time, not according to our feelings or what people do to us.

People will disagree with us because of our faith. That's almost a guarantee. They will reject our invitations for who we represent, and ridicule us for what we believe. Our natural response is to prove to them who is right, by force if necessary. Yet our model is Christ Himself, the one who bore the humiliation of the cross and prayed for the forgiveness of those who rejected him.

The call of the church is to love and continue to intercede for those who reject the gospel. We can only hope that our actions bring people closer to a relationship with Jesus Christ. A little grace on our part may sow a seed that the Lord can reap.