But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
When the early church meet to worship they did so at extreme risk. Once they publicly proclaimed allegiance to Christ, that brought catastrophic circumstances to their lives. In regard to family ties with their Jewish families, they were ostracized. If they were Gentile converts, they, too, were rejected by their family. The Jewish converts (most of the early church) were cast out of the synagogue, their most comfortable and acceptable place to be. The Romans would eventually make the out to be the enemies of the state. Those who “employees” them would disenfranchise them. Those who purchases goods and services from them would stop. If they were put in prison, they were not feed. The only persons to feed those in prison for their faith would be those of the faith who were not in prison. So, those not in prison would bring them food. By doing so, they exposed themselves to also being followers of Christ. To say you were a follower of Christ was to experience all the above. We take our Christianity for granted. We go to church in the morning an out to lunch after. In most cases we have absolutely NO ramifications for our faith. It will not always be that way. We need to rejoice and act like these early believers. They saw Christ as worthy of all that persecution and suffering. They did not look for their own comfort. They looked for the comfort of Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment