It was a really bad couple of days. Jealous religious leaders had the apostles arrested and put in jail. When an angel sprung them, they went back to the temple, and then the furious leaders had them flogged.
What do you do after a bad day? Eat a pint of Rocky Road? Pour a drink? Go shopping? Head for the gym?
Here’s what the apostles did, in Acts 5:41: “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.”
Jailed and beaten, and they rejoice! And what a strange reason: they had been found worthy of not some great honor, but of suffering disgrace.
Here’s what the apostles knew that I forget: Jesus was disgraced and persecuted by people who opposed what he wanted to do in this world. It’s no honor when people who disdain our Lord want to applaud us. In fact, that’s a sign we’re in dangerous territory.
Why, then, do we want so much to look like those people? Why do we dress like them and go to the same places and consume the same pop culture and laugh at the same jokes? Why do we want so badly to fit in with them?
Because standing out means we’ll be picked on. Persecuted. Disgraced. Exactly what the apostles rejoiced about.
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