Worthy To Suffer

Scripture: Acts 5:17-42

40…They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. 41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.” (Acts 5:40-42 NLT)

The apostles were powerfully demonstrating God’s power through miracles and healings. People were coming to the city from the surrounding towns and villages and the sick were lining the streets on cots and mats in hopes that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on them. Crowds of both men and women believed and were brought to the Lord!

In the midst of all this wonder, the apostles were arrested, jailed, released by an angelic “jailbreak” (Acts 5:17-23), went back to the Temple and resumed teaching, were rearrested, and then brought before the Jewish high council, the same group that had conspired to have Jesus crucified a few months earlier. But for the intervention of Gamaliel, a moderate Pharisee, they would have been killed. Instead, they were humiliated by being publicly flogged with whips, ordered never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and let go, battered and bloody.

They left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer arrest, imprisonment, and the humiliation of public flogging for the name of Jesus! Then they went right back to their God-given, Holy Spirit empowered mission. “Every day, in the Temple and from house to house they continued to teach and preach this message: “The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus!” And they kept on healing people, and the church kept growing!

I think I’d be more inclined to rejoice if God counted me worthy to receive public recognition that I’m a great guy and doing a wonderful job and my ministry is a tremendous blessing to everybody. So which is it? Is it being worthy to receive blessing and recognition for serving Jesus or is it being worthy to suffer rebuke and dishonor for serving Jesus? Actually I think it’s both. One feeds something in my ego and makes me feel better for a little while. The other strengthens my spirit and makes a difference where it really counts – in eternity.

Prayer:

Father, Thanks for these words that make me think deeply today. This is a good heart check for me. I trust you to decide at any given time whether I need to receive recognition and blessing or suffer anonymity and learn humility. Help me keep the big picture clear in my mind and heart. Amen.