Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated — the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Hebrews 11:36-40, NIV

 

In "Unlocking the Bible", David Pawson narrates as follows: “I remember standing with my back to the Colosseum in Rome and looking at a low, green hill which used to be Nero’s palace garden. I thought of the day when he held a barbecue in that garden. He had some Christians coated with tar and bitumen, tied them to posts around the garden and set them on fire. They were burned alive to provide lighting for his party.”

 

Centuries later, William Tyndale (1494-1536) was born in England, where his work translating the Bible into English was met with opposition. Eventually, he was betrayed and suffered a bitter, fiery end at the stake. 

 

Tradition has it that his final words were a prayer: "Lord, open the king of England's eyes," while his pioneering work laid the foundation for future English texts.

 

Some scholars have argued that persecution may actually strengthen the church. Those early Christians could not have imagined how the gospel would spread worldwide.

 

Pastor Bobby Chandler cautioned against comparison of saints, specifically speaking on the premature death of James – the first apostle to be martyred. He juxtaposed it with Peter, who was spared at that time; busted out of jail by an angel. Pastor Bobby then explained that God did not love the saints who were martyred any less than those who were not. Does this unsettle you?

 

In "Jesus the Same", Charles Jefferson wrote: “Jesus looks upon the same scene and gives to it a different interpretation. He sees good men come and offer their services to the world only to be rejected and repulsed. One of them is stoned: another is beaten; another is killed.

 

“Their dead bodies are piled up in sickening heaps, but to Jesus this is not evidence of the indifference of God – it is the proof of his long-suffering patience; it is because that he is not willing for any to be lost that he keeps on century after century, sending into the world prophets and apostles, heroes and saints, who shall proclaim the message of heaven to bewildered and sinful man.”

 

A clear case of “don’t shoot the messenger,” if ever there was one. Sit with it, I know it is difficult.

 

Prayer: God of heaven, you laid down your life for us. We praise you for the saints who stood strong amid opposition. Amen.