Day 222.
And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ (Luke 7:33-34 ESV)
We should not be surprised when persecution comes. It came to John the Baptist and upon Jesus. It came upon the prophets of the Old Testament and it came upon the apostles in the New. What often does surprise us is to find that the persecution often comes from among those who believe themselves faithful to God and are within the church. But this shouldn’t surprise us. The New Testament letters warn us about wolves in sheep’s clothing that will stir up dissension and spread false teaching that brings harm to the gospel and the church. And it also shouldn’t cause us to shy away from loving the church. Jesus loved the church so much that he willingly went to the cross to establish her. You may be gossiped about, spurned, even falsely accused by people in the church. It will leave a bad taste in your mouth and make you want to leave. Don’t do it. Instead, pursue church discipline as Jesus lays it out. God is still sovereign and he will preserve and purify his church.
McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: Ru 3-4, Acts 28, Jer 38, Lk 7
