Like Sheep Among Wolves

In Matt. 10:16, Jesus said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.”

Yesterday, I received an email from a friend we support. He is working with local pastors in a “closed country.” I can’t say where for security reasons. One of these pastors had sent him an update on what they were going though. Here is a small part of what the pastor wrote.

“The day before yesterday I was driving home and my wife called and told me to come quickly. There was a crowd of people at the gate who wanted to come inside. My wife shut the gate and would not let them in and they acted like they were going to break through the gate. They started yelling at her and shouting threats against her. Only a couple of these men presented identification. It was at this time that I arrived home and saw what was going on. They told me to open the house and I asked the police officers to present a warrant before I would let them inside. After a few minutes one police officer showed me a written complaint from people in our neighborhood. The complaint stated that there was a Christian family in the neighborhood and that the Christian man was poisoning the rest of the neighborhood with his beliefs. It said that they didn’t want a family like this living in their neighborhood.”

The email goes on to talk about police doing a search of their home, seizures of property, frightened children, arrest, court dates and possible prison time.

Why would Jesus send this family “like sheep among wolves”? Their neighbors hate them; the police are investigating them; their children suffer rejection and possible harm. They could easily stop all this by denying Christ—one statement—problem solved. So why do they continue? Simply this, Jesus sent them. As because of this others are turning to Jesus. But it comes at a price.

Centuries ago, shortly after people started following Jesus, Paul the missionary, wrote to a church like ours, saying, “Finally, brothers, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you.” (2 Th. 3:1)   

To another church he made a similar request: “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.” (Colossians 4:3)

God did bless his ministry, and the gospel spread and has continued to spread. In the US, it is “safe” to be a Christian. But in many places, this is not the case. You may not know where this family lives and ministers, and you don’t know their names, but God does. They have asked for our prayers. Would you take a moment right now to pray for them?