The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel, Classic Version, 2015Mfano

Stickability

Maryam and Marzieh were arrested in Iran in March 2009. Their crime: being Christians. They were blindfolded, interrogated and became ill during their time in prison. On 9 August 2009, they were taken to court. Mr Haddad, prosecuting lawyer, asked the two women if they were Christians. ‘We love Jesus,’ they replied. He repeated his question and they responded, ‘Yes, we are Christians.’

Mr Haddad’s asked them if they regretted becoming Christians, to which they replied, ‘We have no regrets.’ Then he stated emphatically, ‘You should renounce your faith verbally and in written form.’ They stood firm and replied, ‘We will not deny our faith.’

When Mr Haddad told the women to return to prison to think about their options and come back to him when they were ready (to comply), Maryam and Marzieh responded, ‘We have already done our thinking.’

The author of Hebrews writes to Christians who are the subject of persecution: ‘You stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering’ (Hebrews 10:32) – as Maryam and Marzieh did before their prosecutors. (Thank God they have now been released.)

In most areas of life, the will to persevere is often the difference between success and failure. This is true of learning a new skill or sport, or achieving success at work. Joss Billings wrote, ‘Consider the postage stamp; its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there.’ ‘Stickability’ is also a key to the Christian life. If we want to learn to read the Bible, to pray, to resist evil or whatever else, we need to learn to persevere. The writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to be ‘quitters’ but ‘to stick it out’ (vv.34–39, MSG).

Psalm 123:1-4

1. Look to God for help

‘I look to you ... God, look up to you for help’ (v.1, MSG). Like the psalmist, wait patiently for God to help. Stick at it in the face of opposition. ‘We have endured much contempt. We have endured much ridicule from the proud, much contempt from the arrogant’ (vv.3b–4).

His response to this opposition is to turn his focus on to God. He writes, ‘I lift my eyes to you … our eyes look to the Lord our God’ (vv.1–2). This focus is built upon a recognition of who God is – the one ‘whose throne is in heaven’ (v.1) – and also on his relationship with God.

God is ‘the Lord our God’. Look to him to help you: ‘like servants alert to their master’s commands, like a maiden attending her lady, we’re watching and waiting, holding our breath, awaiting your word of mercy’ (v.2–3, MSG).

Lord, today I lift up my eyes to you. You are the Lord. I am your servant. Whatever happens, help me to endure, persevere and keep my eyes fixed on you. I need your mercy and your help today.

Hebrews 10:19-39

2. Stand your ground

Millions of Christians around the world today are still being persecuted for their faith. The letter of Hebrews is written to Christians who were the subject of persecution (possibly at the hands of Nero in Rome). One of the main purposes of the book is to encourage the readers to persevere. The writer has finished his doctrinal exposition. He now begins a prolonged call to perseverance. Here he gives reasons, incentives and encouragements to persevere.

• You can be confident
  Persevere because of what Christ did and does for you. You have a new freedom, boldness and confidence. You are welcomed into God’s presence through the sacrifice of Jesus: ‘We can now – without hesitation – walk right up to God into “the Holy Place”. Jesus has cleared the way by the blood of his sacrifice’ (vv.19–20, MSG).
• You are not on your own
  We are to persevere because we have one another to help. As the writer urges us to ‘hold unswervingly to the hope that we profess’ (v.23), he does so in the context of community. Gather together often with other Christians to encourage one another: ‘Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshipping together as some do but spurring each other on’ (vv.24–25, MSG).
• This really matters
  He warns against deliberately continuing to sin (v.26). This means something like sinning ‘defiantly’. He warns of ‘a mighty fierce judgement ... if you turn on God’s Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole ... God has warned us that he’ll hold us to account and make us pay ... Nobody’s getting by with anything’ (vv.26–31, MSG).

This is often applied to people outside of the church but actually it was written in the context of the Lord judging his own people. This is not something his readers have fallen into. He reminds them of the time when ‘you stood your ground’ (v.32).

• The rewards are great
  He encourages them to ‘Remember those early days when you first saw the light? Those were the hard times! Kicked around in public, targets of every kind of abuse – some days it was you, other days your friends. If some friends went to prison, you stuck by them. If some enemies broke in and seized your goods, you let them go with a smile, knowing that they couldn’t touch your real treasure’ (vv.32–34, MSG).
• Be patient
  Life is short and life is long. On the one hand, life is short. In a short time, we will either have died or Jesus will have returned: ‘For still a little while (a very little while), and the Coming One will come and He will not delay’ (v.37, AMP).

On the other hand, life is long. In the course of a lifetime there will be tests, trials and difficulties which require stickability: patience, endurance and perseverance. ‘For you have need of steadfast patience and endurance, so that you may perform and fully accomplish the will of God, and thus receive and carry away (and enjoy to the full) what is promised’ (v.36, AMP).

The writer has full confidence that his readers will persevere: ‘But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved’ (v.39).

Lord, help us to stand our ground and support our brothers and sisters around the world who are in prison for their faith, or suffering persecution of some other kind. Help us all to persevere and to encourage one another towards love and good deeds as we meet together.

Ezekiel 20:45-22:22

3. Confront evil

Personally, I find that confrontation is never easy, but it is sometimes necessary. Ezekiel is told to confront evil (22:2).

He was called to preach and prophesy (20:46). His was not an easy task. His message was a very difficult one. It was very counter-cultural. Yet he persevered. He did not give up. He stuck at it. He kept on preaching. The word of the Lord came to him time and time again and he faithfully proclaimed it.

God knew that it was not easy. He encourages Ezekiel, ‘set your face’ (20:46; 21:2): ‘Set your face against Jerusalem and preach against the sanctuary. Prophesy against the land of Israel and say to her: “This is what the Lord says: I am against you” ’ (vv.2–3). It must have been really hard.

The sins that he speaks against are as relevant to us as they were to the people of Israel: treating parents with contempt, ill-treatment of the poor and marginalised (including immigrants, widows, and orphans), sexual abuse, incest, rape, bribery, greed and extortion (22:7–12).

Supremely, they have forgotten God: ‘And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord’ (v.12). Those of us who live in the West live in a society that is in danger of forgetting God. As we look around us at a world where there is so much wrong, it can be easy to think that God must have forgotten us. Paradoxically though, passages of judgment like this one actually show us how much God cares for us. God cares passionately about injustice and suffering – that is why he is so angry with those who inflict them on others, and why he refuses to ignore those who suffer.

It is this passionate concern of God for the poor and downtrodden that inspired Ezekiel, and that has inspired Christians down the centuries to oppose injustice. General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, modelled remarkable stickability. He said, ‘While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, I’ll fight; while there is a poor lost girl upon the street, I’ll fight; while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight – I’ll fight to the very end.’

The last line of William Booth’s comment reminds us that there is a spiritual dimension to all this too. Our concern isn’t just to oppose injustice, but also to turn people back to God. The extraordinary message of the second half of Ezekiel (and indeed of the whole Bible) is that this judgment is not the last word. God will also act in grace, to redeem and save his people.

Lord, help us to set our faces with determination not to be put off by opposition, contempt and ridicule. Help us to persevere in confronting evil and proclaiming the good news about Jesus.

Pippa Adds

Hebrews 10:23–25

I can’t help thinking about the suffering of the Christians in Syria, Iraq, Iran and other places where Christians are being persecuted. How much harder it is for them to hold on unswervingly when their churches and friends are being attacked and killed. They have real opposition in trying to meet together (v.25). Praying may not seem much, but it is ‘powerful and effective’, and we must take every opportunity of the freedom we have to bring about the kingdom of God.

Notes:

Antony P Castle, Quotes and Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers, (Kevin Mayhew Ltd, 1979).

Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790.

Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Scripture marked (MSG) taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.