Their Fear

Scripture: John 12:42-43  (Click link for scripture in Bible Gateway)

42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it because of their fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God. (John 12:42-43 NLT)

Many people believed in Jesus, but secretly because of their fear. Nicodemus was a teacher of Religious Law and member of the Jewish ruling council who came to visit Jesus at night for fear of the Pharisees (John 3), and who stood up for Jesus when the Pharisees tried to have him arrested (John 7), until they shouted him down. John writes in Chapter 9 of his gospel about Jesus’ miraculous healing of a man who had been blind from birth. When the Pharisees grilled first the man, then his parents, to try to disprove the miracle Jesus had performed, the parents were afraid to answer because the Pharisees had already declared that anyone who believed in Jesus would be expelled from the synagogue (John 9:20-23).

There’s more to this than merely being kicked out of church! The synagogue was the center of local community life for the religious Jews. If they were expelled, it affected everything. It excluded them from the social life of the community, it cut them off from family and friends, it could cost them their jobs, it could mean no one would do business with them. That’s a high price to pay for expressing their faith!

Have you ever been in a situation where you knew that if you were open about what you believed it would exclude you from the life you knew and the people you loved? I’m concerned that many Christians have become so aligned with one or another political ideology and so vocal and forceful in stating their opinions that those who don’t hold the same political views don’t feel safe or comfortable talking with them. In fact, there’s a lot of talking and not much listening. Let’s be sure the church is a safe place for people to be open and honest about their beliefs and convictions!

No one should have to fear being “excluded from the synagogue” because their politics are different from ours!

Prayer:

Father, Teach us to disagree with others without despising them. Help us not to allow a harmful alliance in the church between our theology and a political ideology! May we never place the faith in politicians and political ideologies that belongs only to Jesus! Have mercy, Lord!