Matthew 27:30 “The soldiers spat on him.”
During the dark years of Communist rule in Romania, a large part of the Church cowed to the authorities and compromised their faith. As far as the Romanian Government was able, it systematically undermined and destroyed the Church. Richard Wurmbrand was at a pastors’ congress in which all his ministry colleagues were being coerced into endorsing and submitting to the party line by forsaking their primary allegiance to Christ. What happened next was the catalyst for thirteen years of torture and imprisonment, much of it in solitary confinement. He wrote in ‘Tortured for Christ’: “My wife (Sabine) and I were present at this congress. She told me, ‘Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ! They (the cowed church leaders) are spitting in His face.’ I said to her: ‘If I do so, you will lose your husband.’ She replied: ‘I don’t wish to have a coward as a husband.’”
I worked in Hamburg’s red light district for six months with the Salvation Army. We used to do street outreach with tramps, alcoholics, druggies and prostitutes. Several times seemingly affable people suddenly turned violent, enraged, almost psychopathic towards me when I brought up the name of Jesus, to the point of spitting on and punching me. You might have experienced sudden deep anger from a more respectable colleague or acquaintance at the mention of Jesus. Somehow following the Prince of Peace can lead to violent situations or vitriolic attacks. If it does, stand firm, and read John 15 and 16: “No servant is greater than his master… if the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first… in this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”
Wumbrand experienced those truths in the extreme, as have many others before and after him. We will also, no doubt to a lesser extent. But let’s not shy away as cowards; instead let’s boldly and lovingly speak up for him.
Lord, forgive my times of cowardice. I choose to speak up for you today. Amen!
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