Friday, August 7, 2015
Acts 5:41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
REJOICE TO BEAR THE NAME
The leaders were so furious at the spread of Jesus' name that they would have killed the apostles on the spot. But Gamaliel, a respected teacher persuaded the Sanhedrin to "leave them alone," because if their message happened to be from God ... "you don't want to wind up fighting against God, do you?"
Fight against God? Of course not! So they called the apostles back in, beat them up, and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus -- and then they let them go.
Does that sound odd? Perhaps not, because our sinful human nature also still wants to have its way, even after we have learned that the warfare with God is over, and we really do not want to fight with God any longer. These rulers really did want to fight against God's anointed One, so it is not so surprising to see them using gangster tactics and still think they were not fighting against God.
Were their actions unjust? Do you think the apostles had grounds for a lawsuit? They walked on out of there rejoicing, not rejoicing in the pain, but rejoicing in the honor of being dishonored for the Name, thankful to be considered Jesus' own, even if such recognition brought them suffering. You and I too may so rejoice. Even if we suffer the world’s pity, reproach, mockery, or worse, because we proclaim the Name of Him who told us to "come out from among them, and be separate, and touch not the unclean thing...," we may still rejoice to bear the Name that means forgiveness, perhaps suffering for a while, and triumphant joy forever!
