Devotion 6: Bear The Reproach He Endured

Have you ever heard of the saying, “And now, for the rest of the story”? Well, many Christians and followers of Jesus Christ seem to stay super focused on the teaching that we should be inward-focused as a church body. We can see churches that separate from the world and maybe go as far as to have their members live on a compound for their protection. We must be reminded as a church that we are to go out into the world to make a difference. We aren’t to be concerned about our comfort and protection from the outside world. In John 15:18-21, Jesus says, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” These verses seem clear enough to me that the world hated Jesus Christ first, and now the world will, in turn, hate His children.

And now, for the rest of the story, we look to Hebrews 13:12-16: “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” So, I guess the question is, why do Christians so frequently stay inward-focused and not look to go out?

At The River Church, we make it a point to celebrate the mission of the Church, which we teach as a process of being reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ, gathering with the church or saints, and growing in the Word of God and community. However, we must remind the church that this process does not stop there. As we follow through that process, we must go back to reaching. The writer of Hebrews is reminding us that because Jesus Christ “suffered” and "sanctified" us through “his own blood… Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.” Yes, that is the rest of the story. We are to go out and serve even though there is reproach or hatred from this world. Why? First, we teach that this is the command of Scripture for His children to go out into the world, and that means that we can’t just stay in the camp. Second, this Bible text reminds us that we don’t really have a home here, so let’s not focus on the comfort of this world. Our home is a “city that is to come.” We do this not huddled, protected, and comforted, but we do this through sharing what we have as we reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.