God doesn’t owe you anything.
Some time ago, I was reading in Matthew, and a verse stuck out to me that I had never really thought about before:
“Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;” – Matthew 4:12
It’s easy to follow this story from the perspective of Jesus, as that is Who the story is focused on, but the thought of it from John’s perspective arrested me. How do you think he felt?
Think about it. You are a straight-shooting, dynamic preacher of the coming Lamb of God. You have garnered a huge following as you exhort people to repent and be baptized. The Pharisees look on with jealousy as you draw crowds with your uncouth speaking.
You preach for Herod, the king. You don’t alter your message. You call for him to repent of his sin of adultery with Herodias, and by doing so, paint a target on your back.
The inevitable happens and Herod throws you into prison for daring to preach against his sin. You feel certain that he will have you executed eventually. Not to worry, though. Your cousin, Jesus, the almighty King of Kings, will surely rescue you from prison.
Right?
That is what is so remarkable to me about this passage. When Jesus heard that John was in prison, His reaction was not one of vengeance, anger, or panic. As far as we can tell, Jesus never saw John again. In fact, Jesus’ very next action was to go to Capernaum and fulfill another one of Isaiah’s prophecies.
How would you react if you were John? Would you feel abandoned? Disappointed? Would you begin to doubt who Jesus really is? John did! In Matthew 11, John went so far as to send messengers to ask Jesus if He really was Who He said He was. Jesus responded to John emphatically, yes.
When we suffer for doing wrong, we can admit that we deserve it. But when we suffer for doing right, it is often too easy for us to feel entitled to a rescue from God. Then, when the rescue does not come, bitterness builds in our hearts.
Jesus was no stranger to suffering wrongfully, as 1 Peter 2:21-25 points out. In fact, He willingly embraced the ultimate wrongful punishment for His love of sinners. John no doubt understood the same, that he was part of a plan that was bigger than he, and that he played a role on this earth that God deemed would end in martyrdom. Is that a cause for despair? No, but if we are honest, our human nature struggles to let us accept that answer.
I come away with this reflection: my hope is not in this world. I am beloved by God, and I rest in His care and sovereignty. If I ever feel entitled to some measure of compensation for having done a righteous deed, I will in that moment be thinking too highly of myself.
May we all recognize that we are but vessels in the Potter’s hands.
When we encounter challenges, difficulties, persecution, or “bad things” we should endeavor to seek God’s grace in dealing with them in a way that brings glory and honor to Him. When we feel all alone and, perhaps, abandoned those tend to be the very times when God is standing right next to us, with His arm around us, supporting us through that particular challenge.
Excellent thoughts!