A little over a week ago on Palm Sunday, around 50 people were murdered
when two bombs were detonated at Christian Coptic churches in Egypt.
Responsibility for this horrific act was quickly claimed by the Islamic State,
who vowed to spill rivers of blood from countless other followers of Jesus.
Two of the most common emotional reactions to unspeakably tragic events like this
are anger and fear. We have to be careful with both emotions because though the
Bible does give room for times when these attitudes of the heart are
appropriate, they are frequently labeled as sinful and often lead to unholy
actions.
For instance, James writes
this about anger in 1:19-20, “Everyone
must be quick to hear, slow to speak and
slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.”
In Luke
12:4-9, Jesus gives a masterful explanation of the difference between holy
and worldly fear. “I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill
the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom
to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into
hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten
before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear;
you are more valuable than many sparrows. And I say to you, everyone who
confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels
of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before the angels of
God.”
There is a time and place for holy indignation and we should approach
every situation with a fear of the Lord, however, I have experienced the
destructive consequences of anger and anxiety far more than I would like to
admit. If I was an Egyptian Christian, I’m sure those emotions would be
tempting me to act in ways I would later regret. After all, it’s only human to
try to overcome evil with evil.
But when I read about atrocities like the Egyptian church bombings, my
mind always travels back to the early Christians. They faced unconscionable
forms of persecution. So, how would they respond to a situation like this?
First,
they would write apologetic letters to the governing authorities to help increase
understanding and dispel rumors around the country about the Christian faith.
The Christians, O King … know and trust
in God, the Creator of heaven and of earth, in whom and from whom are all
things, to whom there is no other god as companion, from whom they received
commandments which they engraved upon their minds and observe in hope and
expectation of the world which is to come. … They comfort their oppressors and
make them their friends. They do good to their enemies. … From now on, let the
tongues of those who utter vanity and harass the Christians be silent; and in
the future let them speak the truth. – Aristides 125CE, ANF Vol. 9, p. 443, 445
[CD-ROM]
Second,
the early Christians would continue to faithfully follow the simple words of Christ, believing that the more persecution they faced, the more the power of
the gospel would be unleashed.
We who were filled with war, and mutual
slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our
warlike weapons — our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements
of tillage — and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and
hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified. …
Now it is evident that no one can terrify or subdue us who have believed in
Jesus over all the world. For it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified,
and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of
torture, we do not give up our confession; but the more such things happen, the
more do others and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God
through the name of Jesus. – Justin Martyr 160CE, ANF Vol. 1, p. 413, [CD-ROM]
Finally, as described in the Martyrdom of Polycarp, the early
Christians believed that the power of prayer could transform enemies of the
gospel into sons of the living God.
So when he (Polycarp) heard that they
(the arresting soldiers) had come, he went down and spoke with them. And as
those that were present marveled at his age and constancy, some of them said.
“Was so much effort made to capture such a venerable man?” Immediately then, in that
very hour, he ordered that something to eat and drink should be set before
them, as much indeed as they cared for, while he pleaded with them to allow him
an hour to pray without disturbance. And on their giving him leave, he stood
and prayed, being full of the grace of God, so that he could not cease for two full
hours, to the astonishment of them that heard him, insomuch that many began to
repent that they had come forth against so godly and venerable an old man. –
Martyrdom of Polycarp 135CE, ANF Vol. 1, p. 68 [CD-ROM]
The early Christians show us that we neither have to resort to worldly anger
nor fear when faced with persecution. There is always another way. There is the
way of the misunderstood King who rode a young donkey into Jerusalem a week
before He was crucified. It may not be safe, but it transforms enemies into
brothers.
