"I Won't Back Down" (Luke 13:31-35)

Have you ever been threatened before?

People don't like their shoes to be stepped on for those whom are doing wrong are threatened when someone is doing right. People like things to stay in the dark so when someone is in the light exposure follows. People suddenly feel uncomfortable, as regret, disappointment, and guilt surface, leading to either repentance or deeper into darkness by trying to cover things up.

We have all been caught in the act of wrong and tried to cover it up even try to make the person whom caught us look like an idiot themselves. We don't like to look stupid, we like people's perception of us to be of good note. So our first reaction like Adam is to blame others and if that doesn't work, we cover up and keep our distance.

Jesus exposed the false religiosity of the Pharisees through His remarkable displays of compassion and supernatural power. We see here in Luke 13:31-35, the Pharisees cannot contain it anymore, there jealousy and guilt is eating them alive, and they tell Jesus, Herod Antipas wants you dead.

Many of us when threatened coward in fear like Elijah when Jezebel threatened him. Our reaction to threats show whom we trust in, if our trust is in God, then we are not moved, if our trust is in man, then we run for our lives. The bible says if God is for us whom can be against us. We are too fear God alone, not man.

I remember a time when a particular act was misunderstood and I was threatened to be kicked out of a football game, I did not back down, which caused higher authority to escort me out of the school grounds until the game was over. There is a time to be quiet and a time to speak up, wisdom comes to those whom ask of it. I was young and zealous and not wise in my ways so my foolishness caught the best of me. Jesus response to the Pharisees (paraphrasing) "was I am going to not stop doing what I am doing until my time is up, so back off, for my life is in my Father's hands." "Yes you will kill me for that is what you do to my Father's prophets, but it's going to be on His terms, in His time, for His purpose, enough said."

We are called the light of the earth, so that means we will be sent into dark places to expose it. Darkness and light always clash, we can expect to be threatened. We are living sacrifices, we need not fear death, for our God is the author of life, and we live eternally for death has been swallowed up in Christ. So let us not resist being obedient but be willing with God's wisdom to be sent out and boldly declare Jesus Christ into the darkest of places until the Glory of the Lord fills the earth.