Above Cliché
It has been said so often it is a bit of a cliché; ‘you get out of life as
much as you put into it,’ or, said another way, ‘you get what you deserve.’
So, if life works that way, by definition Stephen, the first Christian martyr,
deserved to cop a stoning to death. Paul deserved to die by sword.
So did John the Baptist deserve a head trim?
Did Peter deserve martyrdom?
And what about the slaughtered children – under two years of age – in an effort
to get rid of the infant Jesus?
Did Jesus deserve crucifixion?
Don’t let the cliché fool you. It may well be true some of the time but it is
dangerous if you believe it to be an inviolable law of life.
I am told there were more Christian martyrs in the twentieth century than in any
previous century. Christians, with the good news of salvation by grace, with the
attitude of ‘doing unto others’ and ‘going the second mile’ have been tortured,
hunted, shot and crucified probably more than any other group on earth. If the
cliché is true, they got what they deserved.
Even at our ordinary level of friends and family, I am sure you know people who
have been giving and loving and caring, and have been vilified by the world.
Many innocents have been pronounced ‘guilty’ by the world, and have suffered
imprisonment and even the death penalty.
Three of the gospels say Christians will be hated because of their allegiance to
Christ, - Matthew, Mark and Luke, - then Luke says you are blessed when you are
hated because of Jesus. John says the world hated Jesus without reason and if it
hates you, it hated Him first.
And First John 3:13 says don’t be surprised!
But God doesn’t operate according to the cliché. He doesn’t give us what we
deserve, for we deserve nothing less than total annihilation. Instead we are
offered glory and eternity. I think I’ll stick with that offer and ignore the
cliché.
Thank you, Father, that you are truly above any cliché.
Elizabeth Price