Christ has clearly taught that if we are true to him that we will experience persecution from those who are not true to him, or at least not entirely true to him.
All the saints experienced such persecutions even from within the Church.
So the question I must pose to myself is this: am I a persecutor or am I manifesting a true love of Christ?
So often the Christ-like are not obvious to us. So often they seem like the opposite of what they are especially to the selfish of heart, we sinners!
“There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem” (Isaiah 53:2-3).
Who are those whom we mock and make fun of? Who are those who we are unwilling to sacrifice for, to love. Who are those whom we are so convinced are faking it, they aren’t really what they say they are!? Who are those who really make us mad, who call us to account? Who are those who we make to feel like they are not welcome? Who are those who we spurn and hold in no esteem? Who are those that we judge to be ridiculous?
There is a possibility that they are Christ to us. Lets stop being so sure of our own judgments and bring this to God in prayer.
