Day 6: The Lord said to [Moses]: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” (Deuteronomy 18:17-20)
The prophets were not popular people. For example, Daniel was thrown in a lion’s den. Elijah lived in a cave. Zechariah was stoned to death. Isaiah was sawed in two. John the Baptist was beheaded. It was the job of a prophet to proclaim God’s message. Often, this message included foretelling the future — whether it was good news about the Messiah or difficult news about future punishment. Most of the time, it was a prophet’s job to tell the people they were sinning and call them to repentance. This is why they were persecuted.
People love to hear the Gospel message — that God loves and forgives them. However, they are not big fans of hearing the Law — that they are sinners who actually need forgiveness from the God who loves them. And the message of the Law needs to come before the message of the Gospel.
Jesus was the Prophet spoken of in Deuteronomy. Jesus often told his followers that he was there to do his Father’s will and speak his Father’s words. Jesus was not shy about rebuking people for their sin. He also proclaimed the glorious message of forgiveness and salvation to be found in him. Many believed his message, but many rejected him as well. Like other prophets, he too was persecuted all the way to the cross.
Jesus warned his disciples that they too would be persecuted for their preaching: “You will be hated by everyone because of me…. The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.” (Matt. 10:22,24) And while pastors in America today are not killed for their preaching, they often face pressure from parishioners to water down their preaching on sin.
We must thank God for faithful pastors who follow in the footsteps of Jesus, who unapologetically preach God’s Word in it’s truth and purity. The better we comprehend our own sinfulness, the more we appreciate Christ’s work for us. And the better we comprehend God’s mercy and love for us, the more fully we love others.
Bible Readings: Matthew 10, Matthew 21:33-46, Luke 7:36-50
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