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Article Archive |
2007
Stubborn Righteousness
by Jim Morris
“Big R” positioned himself on the shop table behind Bobby’s. Every time the shop teacher turned away during his lecture, Big R would punch, poke, wallop, shove and cuss Bobby. Big R was a 6' - 6" tall loud-mouthed bully weighing almost 300 pounds. Bobby was a quiet, clean-cut kid about half of Big R’s size.
One day Big R took the abuse up a notch. He grabbed Bobby by the front of his button up short-sleeve shirt while the shop teacher went to the office. Big R tried to lift and shake fear into Bobby who would not respond the way Big R wanted. Bobby told him to let go of his shirt because he wore it to church. He was a Christian.
Having heard that reason a wicked smile crossed Big R’s face and he ripped the shirt apart and popped several buttons off in the process. He dared Bobby to try something. However, Bobby just stood there calmly without throwing a punch or even cursing Big R.
Many of the other kids laughed and egged Big R to “let the weirdo have what’s coming to him.” My friend, Marty, and I stepped into the fray. We had both wanted to take Big R down a notch or two for some time. Then the shop teacher walked in...
It was not until ten years later when I became a Christian myself that I began to understand what took place in that high school shop class. Big R was in jail by then on drug trafficking and burglary charges. Bobby, however, was a member of the church I began attending. Those events for Bobby were tests of his faith and loyalty to Jesus. To him, being a Christian meant living righteously before God. I saw in Bobby’s life how offensive “stubborn righteousness” really is to the world.
The apostle Peter told Christians suffering similar persecution, “However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And, ‘If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good” (1 Peter 4:16-19).
Jesus says to His disciples, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:10-12).
08-08-07
# 32
