One they caught beat and sent away, Jeremiah, another servant they cast stones and wounded his head, Hezekiah, another they killed, Isaiah. I find it very interesting how these men of God lived, and were treated for their labor and how some of them died.
Did you know, for example, that Isaiah was fleeing from his fellow country men because of his prophesying? He tried to hide in a hollow tree, and the men chasing him caught him in the hollow tree then took a cross-buck saw and cut the tree in half with Isaiah in it.
Amos the prophet was caught out in a field by the son of the high priest. Amos was trying to awaken the high priest as to the error of his ways. Amos was killed by this son with a sword and left for the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air to eat.
Jeremiah, as you probably know was put into a very large outhouse or cesspool and left there in that stink and filth to die and rot because of his prophesying. He was eventually taken up by old rags and died in captivity in Babylon, just as he had prophesied but he died alone and broken.
Then go on to consider the apostles. Of the 12 only one died a natural death; John the beloved, the revelator. But that was after he was boiled in oil and left on the desert Island of Patmos. All of the rest were slain in a number of cruel and painful ways.
I am saying all of this because in the day we live, the "Name it and Claim it philosophy" is flooding the world. It concerns me that we are led to believe that we will never have to face any real hard times.
The people of Jesus day were trying everything in their power to find a way to trip him up to justify their killing of him.
v The Pharisees a.k.a. lawyers, challenging his authority.
v The Herodians, who heaped on him empty praise, see verse 14, in order to catch him in a rebellion against Caesar.
v The Sadducees, trying to prove there is no life after death, were trying to catch Jesus between the law and their distorted views, verses 18 to 27.
v The Scribes challenging Jesus knowledge of the law, the commandments, and the Word of God, verses 28 to 33.
Even in all of this Jesus found a reason to commend one of the scribes as he states in verse 34 "thou are not far from the kingdom of God."
If Jesus, who knew that he was to be beaten, mocked, marred beyond recognition and then crucified. He left us an example of how to treat those that seemed to be his enemies. How much more should we who have a lot of the comforts of life not follow this lead and be REAL MEN for his kingdom.
What would be wrong with taking a minute, pray and ask the Lord to give you just one (1) opportunity to talk to someone today about who He is to you. You may be surprised how quickly God answers this sort of prayer.
Measure the price of a soul lost for eternity. No one deserves to spend eternity in hell with the devil. Our Mission Statement says we need to Evangelize the Lost. What better way to do that then tell someone what Jesus means to you Today.
David DeTar
