March 2 - Lenten Devotional

"Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man." (Luke 6:22)

"Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets." (Luke 6:26)


Yesterday we already touched on the blessed versus woe movements... but I wanted to focus in a bit on the last pairing - because something a bit different is going on here and I think it is VERY important for the journey of discipleship.

So what's probably not going on is that it is good to be hated and bad to be liked.

There are key additions in both cases: "on account of the Son of Man" and "ancestors did to the false prophets." What is at stake here - I think, is that disciples... followers of Jesus will necessarily have to say and do things that aren't popular - that aren't status quo behavior in society. "On account of the Son of Man", otherwise said, in following the way that I have called you, you will be asked to do and say things that will make you reviled. On the other hand - if you're well liked, and your words always well received, then there is a direct link between you and the false prophets.

I always have this problem when I think I'm going to preach a challenging sermon and afterward everyone says, "That was a good sermon, thank you." I'm thinking, "Wait, no - you shouldn't have liked it!!" And then I'm thinking, "What did I say wrong - that they liked it?"

In following Jesus there will be times we have to deliver the hard word... even worse there are times we will have to live the hard word. The temptation is always to go the way of the false prophet - to look the other way and offer more blessing and affirmation by way of avoiding conflict... and to be liked.

Being liked is always more fun than being a prophet.
But we are not called to be liked.

I remember someone telling me once that if everyone at your church likes you - you're probably not doing something "right". I'm not sure that this is necessarily true - but it isn't a far cry from what Jesus is saying here. "In following my way," Jesus says, "you will be reviled, hated, excluded and defamed." And while that will not be true all the time, we have to be prepared to risk our lives (or reputations at least) for those time it will be most certainly true!

Are we ready to dare that kind of discipleship?
Are we attentive enough in our lives to see when we are tempted to be a false prophet?
Will we trust God enough to say and do what we are called to - in the name of Jesus?

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Holy God,
You have called us to be set apart.
You have called us to your way that is not like the ways of this world.
Give us the courage and trust to follow.
Amen.