In this world there is no shortage of people’s opinions on who a person is but thankfully a human’s opinion on who we are, is not our true identity. We are NOT who people say we are but rather we are who our God says we are. What people think of us means little when our focus is centered on who God wants us to be. The reality is this, we live in a world that calls evil good, and good evil, they put darkness for light, and light for darkness, bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter, Isaiah 5:20. Our goal as followers of Christ is not to receive a standing ovation from this world, but rather, our goal is to make ALL of heaven rejoice. Our flesh desires to please all men and this is one of the reasons why its essential to no longer walk in the flesh but rather as a new creation we walk in the Spirit and all these things fade away as we look to our Lamb.
We need not be discouraged for our Lord had the same problem, multitudes labeled Him wrong, failing in calling Him by His true identity which is Christ, the Savior of this lost world. As they journeyed to the towns of Caesarea Philippi Jesus questions His disciples on who men said He was. They went on to answer Him with the many opinions that humans labeled Him, all of the labels, of coarse were not correct. Some labeled Him as John the Baptist, some say, Elijah and others, one of the prophets. After asking the disciples who men said He is He went on to ask, who do YOU say that I am? In other words, Jesus wanted to make sure they knew that there was a difference in who men said He was and who He really was. These people heard that He was the Son of God but that did not stop them from drawing their own conclusions on who He is. Sadly his disciples were forced to acknowledge that the people had failed in recognizing their Messiah.
Mark 8:27-29
27 “And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?”28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
Those labels above were wrong but they were half decent labels compared to the way he was sometimes called. Many said He has a demon, that He is mad, questioning the people they said, why do you listen to Him? In John 10:20 they accused Him of blasphemy which is one of the worst labels that a person can be labeled with. He was accused of associating with the wrong people, they looked down on Jesus for eating with sinners, with those they considered unworthy. Our Lord saw hope in these sinners and did not hesitate to dwell with them so that He could draw them closer to himself.
He saw into the hearts of these sinners, He saw their hearts were not even as far away from Him as were the religious leaders that were watching His every move. His desperation to save sinners ran deeper then men realized so rather then grasping His efforts, His love towards men, they came up with their own opinion and they did question all His ways.
In John 7, After many of His disciples walked away from Him, Jesus walked in Galilee and because the Jews were out to kill Him, He did not want to walk in Judea. The Jews Feast of Tabernacles was at hand and his own brothers challenged Him saying, Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing. Not even His own family understood Him, neither did His brothers believe in Him. They did not respect His wishes to stay away from people that wanted to end His life before it was time. They seemed to be unmoved that His life was even in danger. It’s clear to see that his brother’s did not lighten His load in any way, if anything they added more to the already unbearable heavy burden that was placed on His shoulders.
John 7:5
For even His brothers did not believe in Him.
One might wonder, why didn’t God place Jesus into a family where they all understood Him, where they all helped lighten His heavy load? One of the reasons might be so that we may find comfort in knowing that our Savior knows how we feel when our family misunderstands us, when they fail in seeing that our only desire in this world is to live for Him. If we are a people of God that has family that misunderstands us, that labels us wrongly, just know that our Savior feels our sorrow more then we realize, He can relate.
He has been there, he has experienced it all, there is nothing that we endure that He himself hasn’t endured himself. Find comfort in falling into His arms and focusing only on what His thoughts are towards us. If He’s happy with us, just know that we will be happy also, even if no one understands us, for this happiness that He places inside of us, will go on even when all odds are against us. It’s a kind of happiness that’s not fleeting, it’s a happiness that this world is not able to distinguish.
Isaiah 53:4
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Psalm 139
1 For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. [1] O LORD, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. 3 You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. 5 You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Mark 3
20 Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”
His own people accused Him for being out of His mind. Was this the truth or did they simply not know what they were talking about? As He was healing the sick, casting out demons and restoring life’s and the accusations against him piled up His brothers and His mother came and they sent for Him. Perhaps this was all too much for them already and they couldn’t watch the rage that many people had towards Him.
The prophet Elijah was called a trouble maker, again, was this true? Those calling Him the trouble maker were those that had forsaken the commandments of God, following after baal worship.
Psalm 109
1 the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. [1] Do not keep silent, O God of my praise! 2 For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful Have opened against me; They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. 3 They have also surrounded me with words of hatred, And fought against me without a cause. 4 In return for my love they are my accusers, But I give myself to prayer. 5 Thus they have rewarded me evil for good, And hatred for my love.
David was also no stranger to being falsely accused for no reason at all as he listened to their words of hatred. Instead of them returning the love that he had towards them they returned only hate.
Psalm 56
4 In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? 5 All day they twist my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.
David claimed that all day they twisted his words, ALL their thoughts towards him being evil.
As we can see, the Bible leaves no doubt as to the reaction a genuine Christian will receive when they walk as He walked, when they walk in the truth. We should not be surprised when we are not at home in a world that has forsaken Him. The question is, have we troubled the devil with our faith in God? If we have not troubled the devil then surely we will never experience the heat of persecution or hatred. It is not a good thing when all men speak well of us, in fact a woe is upon us.
Luke 6:26
Woe to you when all men speak well of you, For so did their fathers to the false prophets.
This is the cross that we have to carry, to be hated and misunderstood by multitudes simply for following in His footsteps. We all want to receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away but how few of us want to allow that cross to be placed upon our own shoulders and to feel it’s weight? Dare we walk as our Savior walked in days that are like the days of Noah and Lot? This cross may cause us to be hard pressed on every side, yet we will not be crushed, perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted but not forsaken, struck down but not destroyed. Carrying this cross for a moment, brings more joy and peace then would a life time of indulging in the things of this world and being loved by a majority. May we find comfort in knowing that there is nothing that we endure here in this world that doesn’t touch the heart of our Redeemer. He feels our every hurt as much as we do and more. Take courage in knowing that we are linked together with the one, who has overcome this world.
2 Corinthians 4
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—