From this time on, Jesus told the apostles they would face some pretty tough tribulations. Their fruit which remained was sure to make them become men of sorrow. Pretty harsh conditions from One who promised them eternity...
"To be hated and evil entreated is one of the penalties of moral greatness and spiritual power; or, to put it differently, one of the privileges Christ confers on His 'friends.'" A. B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve, pg. 423.
Imagine with me how harsh this sounds, but consider what else Bruce says; "Hatred is very hard to bear, and the desire is to escape it is one main cause of unfaithfulness and unfruitfulness." Bruce, pg. 423.
Most of us treat our lives as ones that want to live as peacefully as we can with as little turmoil as we can, but does this really line up with the real gospel? Jesus statement, "These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling" is almost said apologetically to the apostles. The apostles face some tough times ahead and Jesus knew it. Would they be good soldiers in the fight, or run for high ground? Would they realize that the Master told them that they would face trials and tribulations for being one of His and face them boldly? Or would they seek to escape the trouble ahead?
Then I read on in Bruce's book. Here's what he had to say next: "Men who suffer for their convictions are greatly tempted to regard their opponents as in equal measure the opponents of God. The wrongs they endure provoke them to think and speak of the wrong-doers as the very children of the devil. Then it gives importance to one's cause, and dignity to one's sufferings, to conceive of the former as God's, and of the latter as endured for God's sake. Finally, broadly to state the question at stake as one between God's friends and God's foes, satisfies both the intellect and the conscience,- the former demanding a status questionis which is simple and easily understood; the latter, one which puts you obviously in the right, and your adversaries obviously in the wrong." Bruce, pg. 426.
This reminded me of something that happened to me a long time ago. It concerns a friend's wrong convictions. Several years back, a friend called me to ask for prayers for he and his family. He told me that he had been facing some really hard difficulties in his life. You see he was about to lose his license to practice medicine. I asked him what was happening so I would know how to pray about the situation. He explained the situation. He stated that he was being persecuted by the devil and wanted me to pray Satan would be defeated in this attack. After more probing, I found that the entire problem was a result of poor decision (a wrong conviction) he had made in his professional and personal life; all brought upon himself by himself! This was obviously his fault, but yet he chose to blame Satan for the trouble. It was more about his personal vanity than his gospel conviction.
Ok, so I know this is an extreme case, but it does allow us to see the difference and how we react to trials and tribulations. I don't think sometime we endure the things we do because Satan is outwardly attacking us. It might be just because those around us don't know Who we know. There was a man who in Acts 7 did the same thing. His name was Saul.
Jesus told the apostles that they would face trials and tribulations as a result of being connected to Him. But He told them not to be surprised of the times when they came. He stated, "But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them." (John 16:4).
Sure, all of us face tribulations from demons (not Satan) throughout our lifetime. If Satan were to directly attack us, most of us wouldn't endure it well... I remember Job's story too well. I think a lot of the time, we are going through these times as a result of those who are not connected to Jesus and thinking they are doing the right thing while attacking us (again Saul springs to the mind). Then again, sometimes we are our own worse enemy sometimes as well. Then it is not the attitude of "the devil made me do it," rather "I helped the devil do it!"
Is our conviction truly for the gospel of Jesus Christ or is it somewhere muddled in what we think this life should contain?
I challenge you today to think the next time trouble comes as to what is attacking you. Is it a result of what we have done to ourselves or is it because those who attack us do not know the One? Remember, if we are standing alongside Jesus, He will consider us His "friends" as we endure a tiny fraction of what He endured for us!
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