The number twenty-one plays an unusual role in our modern day culture.
You have to be 21 years old to legally consume an alcoholic beverage.
At eighteen years of age you can enlist in the armed services, vote, be tried as an adult in a court of law, can live on your own, take out a loan, apply for a credit card, but you cannot drink alcohol legally.
If you served in the military, at your funeral there will be a 21 gun salute.
If you want to buy a house you can contact a realtor at Century 21.
We currently live in the 21st century.
Have enough “21’s” in a row in Las Vegas and you go home a rich person from the Blackjack table.
If you like to shop and feel young at the same time then simply buy all your clothes at “Forever 21.”
According to the movie “21 Grams”, our soul weighs twenty-one grams.
If that be the case then heaven gained four hundred and forty-one grams today as 21 Christians from Egypt were beheaded in Libya today.
Count ’em…1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 -10 – 11 – 12 – 13 – 14 – 15 – 16 – 17 – 18 – 19 – 20 – 21…
SeeingGodAtWorkEveryday…
For close to two thousand years men, women and children of the Christian faith have been mocked, tortured, slain, murdered, crucified, beheaded, maimed, burned, beaten, ridiculed, and much more…all because we follow a man named Jesus.
As reprehensible and barbaric as it is to read of 21 Christians being beheaded, it should not be surprising that we, as a people have come under such great persecution.
Jesus said such things would happen to those who would count the cost of discipleship and then choose to do that which the early disciples did…”Follow him.”
Intrinsic to the cost and the joy of following Jesus is the ridicule and the mocking that we find along the way. The question is oftentimes raised, “Why don’t Christians get all riled up when cartoonists depict Jesus in a cartoonish sort of way? Why don’t Christians flinch when so called “art” depicts Jesus in a light that is completely antithetical to the very “Light” He cast?
The answer is quite simple. (Please don’t get simple confused with simplistic. Sometimes being simple is the most complex, complicated and difficult thing to do and be!)
We worship a suffering Savior!
We bow down to the One who was mocked, spit upon, beaten, stripped, whipped, and ultimately nailed to a cross beam of rough hewn wood.
It’s in our DNA as Christians to suffer like Christ in order to be Christ-like.
Being counted as a fool for Christ…
Being ostracized for loving the One who was crucified between two thieves…
Being ridiculed for following the One who offers the most ridiculous amount of grace and mercy and love…
Being taunted for touting the faith in One whom has all the faith in the world in us…
Being discriminated against for discovering the joy of walking with the Light of the World who limps with us…
Being mocked for believing in Jesus who in turns believes in His children…
Being laughed at for trusting in the One who laughed out loud at death itself…
Well…We as Christians call that an honor, a blessing, a joy, a sign of obedience, a celebration and a cause to go out and share even more the love of Jesus with everyone we meet.
Listen now to what Jesus says…
“But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.”
Do you know where you can find that verse?
Here’s the answer…
The gospel according to John,
The fifteenth chapter,
Verse 21…
SeeingGodAtWorkEveryday…
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!
David@seeinggodatworkeveryday.com