Send Me

In Matthew 23:37, Jesus expresses how dangerous it is to be a prophet of God.  He cries out to the city of God: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”

Jesus would have loved it if every citizen of Jerusalem had said “yes” to Him, but they were not willing to be gathered.  Yet, in Isaiah 6:8, we read about the call of a prophet who does say “yes” to God.  “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here I am! Send me.’”

Today, I want to ask you a simple question.  Would you do it?  Would you say, “Send me?”  It’s interesting to note that God didn’t tell Isaiah that the people wouldn’t listen to him until after Isaiah said “yes.”  Most preachers wouldn’t accept a call to share God’s message with people if they knew in advance that their message wouldn’t be received.  Prophets who knew they were going to be rejected would say, “What’s the point?”  Certainly, Jesus didn’t say that Jerusalem stoned ALL the prophets, but those who declare God’s message must be aware that rejection, persecution, and even physical threat could be involved.  One tradition says that Isaiah was martyred under the reign of Manasseh.  Would he have agreed to serve, had he known his eventual fate?  Would you?  Or would you say, “Here I am!  Don’t Send Me?”

Some time ago, I visited the Southern Baptist Convention’s missionary learning center in Rockville, Virginia.  Here, thousands of missionaries have been trained for service in countries around the globe.  Each one who attends the training is eager to work for God.  Yet every day in the center, students pass by a wall that is covered with the names of missionaries who has died in the field, having given their lives for the cause of Christ.  Each student knows that while nobody plans on martyrdom, it may be a reality for those who proclaim God’s Word.

In Luke 9:23-26, Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.  For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?  For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.”

Would you become a Christian, if you knew that you might suffer because of it?  Just take a look at the current situation in Egypt, and you can see Christians under attack for their faith.  Since August 14, over 60 churches and institutions have been attacked by Muslims.   Egypt is not alone in being a dangerous place for Christians to live.  Jesus’ followers around the world continue to suffer persecution at the hands of those who oppose His truth.

So—if you seriously believed that being a Christian was dangerous, would you still give your heart to Christ?  If you thought it might cause you real suffering, danger, or even death, would you say “yes” to His call?  Would you take up your cross and follow Him?  Or, would you do the easier, more convenient, and safer thing?

This morning, I think I’ll end this article with a ?

Reprinted with permission from revgregsmith.blogspot.com. Greg is a Baptist minister who has served churches in Central and Southside Virginia. He lives in Halifax County VA with his wife and children. He may be reached at revgregsmith@gmail.com.

*All scriptures taken from the ESV.