Overcoming the Thorns

Recently, a question came up during a Bible study I was participating in related to what we as Christians are to do with regard to all that is happening around us. Of particular concern was our response to our state, local and federal leaders concerning the Corona virus as well as our position concerning the ongoing protests throughout our land.

The first thing that comes to my mind concerning the question is the fact that most, if not all of us are easily overtaken by the cares of this world. You might remember the words of the Lord as He taught the parable of the sower and the seed, when he referred to the seed which had come up (or taken root) among thorns, He said:

“Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Mark 4:18–19)

Many things distract the follower of Christ from the course He has for them to follow. Our flesh craves and lusts for more, and more, and more of everything – of wealth, prestige, respect, notoriety, attention, the things other people have and our flesh fears many things as well. The cares of this world can drive us into a panic and in our struggle to make sense of a world that makes no sense: we worry, we lash out, we panic and we disregard the One who saved us. All our discontent, our desires to have more and all our fears end up accomplishing is a lack of productivity regarding the one thing every follower of Christ still walks on earth to accomplish – the making of disciples not of ourselves but of Jesus Christ.

A lot of people are so focused on the signs of the times these days, they see the fulfillment of prophecy in things happening today. They are focused on the first few lines of (Matthew 24) concerning “wars and rumors of wars,” “nations rising against nations,” “famines, pestilences and earthquakes in various (or diverse) places” failing to note that little remark in (v. 8) “All these are the BEGINNING of sorrows.” The fact is that the above has been the state of the world since the days that Christ walked among men; even the persecution of believers and abounding lawlessness of men has been with us since those days. Jesus continued, saying that because of lawlessness, “the love of many will grow cold” – how can that happen? How can Christian love grow cold? I suggest that the cold love Jesus mentions is evidence of people whose hearts of love and compassion have been choked by the cares of this world – people who are out of step with the Lord’s plan.

Christians are a people on mission and the mission is clear – preach the gospel!

“And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

What? You’re not a pastor, minister or missionary – that is NOT a prerequisite for the mission before us! We all are to preach with our words AS WELL AS our lives and every Christ follower is tasked with the same mission: (Matthew 28:19) MAKE DISCIPLES! Note what is said in (Matthew 24:14):

“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.”

Did Jesus mean to say that every person in every place on the planet will have to hear the gospel before He returns? No, He was actually pointing to the 144,000 Jews appointed in (Revelation 7:1-8) to be witnesses, carrying the message of the coming kingdom over which Jesus Christ will be King just before that kingdom would be established. But the verse also serves as reminder to the believer of what he or she ought to be about today – pointing the way to Christ!

The days in which we live have provided opportunity for us to either lash out against or love others. To those on whatever side who believe that ______ (fill in the blank with your choice) lives matter, we have an opportunity to show that, by His death and resurrection Jesus Christ declares that all lives, every life matters.

“By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” (Hebrews 10:10)

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” (Romans 6:10)

“Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:12)

Not only that but to those who are in fear of death concerning the virus (trust me, I understand that no one is in a hurry to die) we also have a message of hope. You see the fear of death is seated in a lack of faith:

“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14–15)

The bondage mentioned above is a bondage to fear and, in our day and time, the fear of death is couched in the notion that after death there is nothing.  But Jesus rose again after He was killed and He yet lives today as both the first-fruit of those who died (see 1 Corinthians 15:20) and proof to the fearful that there is in fact, life after death. Jesus said in (Luke 12:4-5):

“And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!”

Every one who has ever lived, is living or ever will live until the end of the age is an eternal soul (see Mark 9:47-48 and John 11:25-26) – faith makes the difference. Those who believe in Christ will live on in eternity with Him, those who do not believe, will live to experience the penalty of their own sins for eternity in hell.  The message to those in fear of death is plain – there is hope in Jesus Christ for every soul who trusts in Him.

What should we be doing in these days? What we should have been doing all along – reaching out to others in the name of Christ and to lead them to faith in Him by our witness.