Luke 9:23-27 (KJV)
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels. But I tell you of a truth, there be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Kingdom of God.
The above words were spoken by the Messiah just 8 days before His transfiguration, reminding us not to be ashamed of Him. Albeit, there will come seasons when His chosen ones will indeed be subjected to shame for the sake of His name and all we are clearly being reminded of is to deny oneself, take up one’s cross and to follow Jesus daily.
A journey through the Bible explicitly gives an exposition of the kind of brutal suffering, betrayal, pain and shame that the prophets and apostles of old had to contend with.
Let’s take a closer look:
A study of the lives of personalities like: Peter, Silas, Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Jonah, Elijah but to name but a few gives us a glimpse of what it practically entails to bear shame for His name.
Did they choose this path for themselves? No, but their calling came with the full package of it. The life of the greatest apostle of the new Testament bears a testimony to this when during his conversion in Acts 9, the Lord sends Ananias to pray over Saul and these were the instructions as pronounced by the Lord Jesus, “…, Go thy way: for he (Saul/ Paul) is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”
In this particular study however, we’ll be doing a brief explication of (one prophet and one apostle) – Jeremiah’s and Peter’s calling/ function in relation to our title.
Let’s 1st take a closer look at Jeremiah’s life and function as a prophet.
In the times of Jeremiah the prophet, we see a people whose ears itched to hear what they wanted as opposed to true prophecy; so bad such that in Jeremiah 27 through 39, we see a king Zedekiah who preferred false prophecies and who had shut up Jeremiah behind bars which didn’t in any way stop the prophet from receiving Word consistently from God. In the end and due to disobedience, Zedekiah and his people are delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans and led into Babylon as captives.
Also looking also at Jeremiah 39, Jeremiah while locked up in prison received Word from God and asked Baruch to write this prophecy on a roll and present it. It is quite disheartening that Jehoiakim had the audacity to burn the roll in the fire simply because it had prophecy of the destruction of Judah and Israel which ran contrary to what he wanted to hear – a clear indicator of a people and times rotten and stinking of intoxicating filth.
True prophecy got Jeremiah, a true servant of God into prison, somewhat a kind of exile which didn’t in any way stop or deter him from executing his prophetic call/ function. Disobedience was so rife then even from the king Zedekiah himself, lawlessness thrived and there wasn’t the subtlest clue or proof of ‘genuine reverence’ for God. I see no quite big a difference whatsoever from today. Well, did these stop God from speaking? No at all! Did all these arrest the King of kings from executing His will and seeing to it that His Word and judgement upon the children of Israel and Judah was executed to the latter? Absolutely no!
Reality is, not only prophets and apostles bore or still do bear shame for His name.
Truth be told, every ‘true’ Christian has in one way or another borne shame for Jesus’ name, just varied proportions and intensities.
Have you personally ever borne any shame for His name? Well, when we get born again, it is tempting to think that it all will be rosy. The brutal truth that can only cause me to speak from experience is that it will not! Even more exasperating is watching people of the same office or functionality divided into camps as we soon will see in Acts.
Are you in the process or season of bearing shame for His name? Hold it there. Just a matter of time. Paul did, Peter did, David did. And they now are with Christ – reaped something better than any temporal benefit this world would ever offer. The Messiah Himself bore shame untold – one whose intensity none of us will ever experience no matter how grueling our situations; He had His fair share of uncultured and shameful treatment both from those close to him as well as those not as close, all for the sake of the name of His Father.
And, do you ever rejoice at the indelible account that you are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name? Oh yes, I do. I pretty much do!
Let’s have a 2nd glimpse of the subject in question with regards to one apostle’s call/ function.
An insight into Acts chapter 5 immediately after the episode of Ananias and Saphira lays bare a conflict that ensued between the apostles and the Pharisees and even an internal one among the Pharisees/ Sadducees themselves in that the apostles were cautioned against teaching in the name of Jesus but they couldn’t wouldn’t, didn’t stop.
This name, this name! My goodness! I bet it has some magical addiction when you have tasted it, accurately understood its potent, have personally had a front row seat on what it is capable of doing such that being stopped to use it wouldn’t cause one to shy away from entering into the ‘books of defiance’ for lack of a better explanation.
Wow! People had been healed, Peter’s mere shadow evoked healing at his passing, multitudes were being added daily into the faith, prison chains and padlocks had no option but to purely succumb to breaking helplessly by themselves, angels came personally to release convicts from prison. How on earth could they be told to stop preaching in the same name that was causing such a wave of wonders? – the name JESUS. And how on earth did even the Pharisees/ Sadducees expect such an instruction duly followed and at that by the apostles? Perfect and ‘reasonable’ defiance is all they repetitively met.
But wait! Do you know what typically amuses me? Even after all these repetitive warnings, the chapter ends with, “And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.”
Guess what? Sometimes all it simply takes is a Gamaliel to bring sanity into chaos. The Bible records him as a man who had reputation among all the people.
Below is the full episode:
Acts 5:12-42 (King James Version)
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed everyone. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, ‘Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.’ And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within. Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told them, saying, ‘Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.’ Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space; and said unto them, “Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.”
And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the council, REJOICING THAT THEY WERE COUNTED WORTHY TO SUFFER SHAME FOR HIS NAME. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
…
Ahem! Just as is the case today, in the times of Isaiah the Prophet, obedience and reverence were such rare commodities; so rare that the Lord in Mathew 15:8-9 as similarly echoed by prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 29:13 says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
Just one question that I would like to pause to myself just as well as to you my reader and not only that, but try and genuinely answer it is, ‘What kind of service do we render? Lip service or Heart service?
More grace as we bear Shame for His Name.
Call me, ‘Hephzibah’ – His delight is in her
