Christmas and Martyrdom

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.”-John 15:18-20

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Sleigh bells jingling, cash registers cha-chingaling; the great holiday draws near. It is the time of year to throw caution and budget to the wind. Manger scenes and savings-magazines in dominance decorate this happily-stressed land. Family-friendly hymns of the season comfort the restless souls, searching eBay relentlessly for the latest editions of the very limited robo-dogs and newest generation iPods. Oh but how much more delightful it is to give than to receive when that gift outshines that of your neighbor.[1] ‘Tis the season to jubilantly trample your fellow man with eyes on the discount laptop prize, while Samaritan’s Purse’s merry bells jin-a-ling, begging for a penny to change the world.

My attitude-of-Christmas-past has been quite bah-humbug lately.[2] I have despised Christmas’ materialism (not that I profess to be above it), the quasi-pagan origins, Santa Claus, and the unbalanced focus on Christ’s birth versus His resurrection. My response in past years has been to despise Christmas. Americans spend roughly $450 billion dollars during the holiday season, and an average of $791 per person. Consumers spend $15.8 billion of that on ornamentation (unclean water is blamed for more deaths than anything else in the world, and it is estimated that the world’s water woes can be cured for a mere $10 billion, $5 billion less than Americans spend on rooftop Rudophs and enormous Frosty Snow-globes).[3] This year however, things are a little different. God has adjusted my bah-humbug-do-nothingness into something a little more useful.

This year’s holiday woes have been more purposeful. I have been burdened to consider and pray for the saints around the world, particular those saints who are currently or have recently faced intense persecution. While Westerners gather ‘round the fire to roast chestnuts and sing cheery tunes of Christmas trees and merry bells ringing; Christians in China, India, Indonesia, North Korea, etc hide out in new-school catacombs lest they be forced to recant or die. Three weeks ago, in Nigeria, violence against Christians resulted in 100 dead. While Americans sip Eggnog and delightfully sift through festively-wrapped presents, sixty-nine Indonesian Christian families will spend Christmas homeless after their houses were destroyed by angered Muslims on Monday (December 15th, 2008). Countless other Christians face starvation and famine. Many will spend this Christmas season enduring harsh floggings by angry kidnappers rather than making known the meeting locations of their brothers and sisters. Several Christians will choose martyrdom, rather than deny Christ and recant their faith next week. In fact, while you’re unwrapping that iPod there is a reasonable chance that at least one Christian in China has a gun to his or her head. And on the 26th, when you go to the store to return that hideous sweater/scarf/etc. there is some young boy or girl being forced to watch his parents hang because he or she will not deny Christ. Why? A slave is not greater than his master. Followers of Christ will indeed suffer with Christ, for joy’s sake to the glory of God.

My request: Pray for the persecuted. Pray for the famished. Pray for the displaced. Pray for your family, your brothers and sisters across the globe, suffering for the sake of Christ. Pray that God will be glorified, and they will know His rest. Pray that their persecution will result in the spread of God’s fame to the nations. And pray for the church in the West that she will be purged of her materialism and embrace glorious joy in Christ alone.[4] Pray that when persecution comes to the Western church, that she will embrace it graciously and willingly knowing that a slave is indeed no greater than his master.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God”-Hebrews 12:1-2

Truly have a Merry Christmas, remembering the glory of God.

Post by gbuff, who echoes props for Shai Linne's "Penelope Judd." Shai Linne is a poet.

[1] Elizabeth Ladd is credited for the completion this sentence
[2] This is a rather lame allusion to Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol
[3] Check out http://www.adventconspiracy.com/
[4] This is what our brothers and sisters are praying for us.