Easter, and bold preaching

There were eleven disciples after the resurrection, cowards all. Discounting Judas, whom we dealt with on Thursday, we had a group of eleven who weren't much good at much. You see, they were dealing with a fairly hostile world. Sure, when they were all together behind closed doors, it was super easy to be brave, as it always is. Look at Peter's words when he was mustering up courage, standing alongside Jesus Christ as he was.

"Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you,

that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed

for you that your faith might not fail. And when

you have have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you both to

prison and to death."

Luke 22:31-33

Where did this happen? In the room where the Lord's supper was instituted. Peter, talking this big talk, was surrounded by a group of people who completely agreed with him, and Jesus who must have seemed unstoppable at that time. It's easy, as Peter found out, to talk a really good game, just as long as you're surrounded by friends and well-wishers. But it gets much more difficult when you're surrounded by people who actually and absolutely don't agree with you.

Now, we're Canadians. Canadian Christians, living in the real world, where there are real world consequences surrounding confessing a belief in Christ. Real world dangerous consequences. Consequences like.....

Mild disapproval.

Belittling conversations.

Temporary loss of friendship.

Withering awkwardness.

You know, that stuff. Given those weighty consequences, I can see why we wouldn't be all that interested in talking to people about Jesus. Can you imagine? Can you imagine? No wonder Peter and the disciples all took off, because there was a very real possibility that people might laugh at them.

Oh, wait. That's not what happened at all. The consequences were much much greater for the disciples than they are for us. When was the last time you were in so much trouble with other people due to your Christianity, that you had to run away from the situation totally naked?

A young man followed him, with nothing but a linen

cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the

linen cloth and ran away naked.

Mark 14:51-52

Yeah, probably never. Never has this happened to you. But this isn't a post all about how the odds against the witness of the disciples was big, and against you they're small. No, this is about something else. This is all about how we as Christians really need to start acting like we believe what we believe. Is Jesus the way, the truth and the life? Is he the key to resurrection of the body and the life everlasting? If not, then no big deal. But if he is, then this isn't question of mild embarrassment, this is a question of everything, life, death, and eternity. The disciples, before the resurrection, they acted like us. People who are callow and weak willed. They were lenten people, denying Jesus, running away naked, betraying Christ, vanishing into the darkness. Lenten people. people like us. Frightened and weak willed.

But this is Easter. Easter when we have new confidence, new strength, new will, new enthusiasm. It's when we ask ourselves what we believe in, when we ask ourselves what our faith means, what it's worth. The price of living like easter people probably isn't going to be us being nailed to a cross, stoned, beheaded, or stabbed. It might be one of the issues above. But is it worth it? Is eternity and life and death worth it? Well, that's up to you, the individual Christian.

Blessed Easter to you. May the resurrection inspire in you a renewed confidence and strength of resolve not even possible through earthly things. Be courageous and determined in your beliefs, and be as wise as serpents, and gentle as doves.

PJ.