Christ Is Lord

This past Sunday I enjoyed listening to Dr. David Lema, our guest preacher, and his message on the church at Smyrna. No church faced bigger problems, yet none received greater praise. This was a good church, yet it suffered much. Jesus said to the church, “I know your afflictions; I know your troubles. I know what you are going through…” (Revelation 2:9). What were they going through? They were pressured to compromise their faith. In Smyrna, they had religious freedom to a point as long as they were willing to worship Caesar, as well. They were pressured to go to the temple dedicated to Caesar, take a pinch of incense, put it in the altar fire and say “Kaiser Esti Kurios – Caesar is Lord.” If they did that, then they could go worship whomever they liked. The Smyrna Christians refused to do it. They would not say Caesar is Lord because Christ is Lord.

Early church history teaches us that hundreds of thousands of Christians were killed during the reign of terror under this Caesar, named Domitian. Jesus added here, “I know it’s been bad, but it’s going to get worse” (v.10).
 
This raises the question: If your faith were under fire like this, how would you respond? Would you stand strong in your faith? Would you refuse to compromise?
 
By the way, we know from church history who the pastor of Smyrna was at this time. His name was Polycarp (mentored by the apostle John himself). This respected, beloved pastor was later arrested during a period of intense Roman persecution and ordered to declare publicly “Caesar is Lord.” Instead, this is what he said, “Eighty and six years have I served him and Jesus never did me harm. How then can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” The Roman Proconsul said, “If you will not confess Caesar as Lord, I will burn you in the fire.” Polycarp replied, “You threaten me with fire which burns for an hour and after a while is extinguished, but you are ignorant of the fire of the coming judgement and of eternal punishment reserved for the ungodly. Why are you waiting? Bring forth what you will.”
 
They proceeded to tie him to a stake, but he said “Don’t!” and they didn’t. Polycarp stood on his own, leaning against the stake, and as the fire began to engulf him, his last words spoken before his death as he gazed up to heaven were these words: “I thank thee that thou hast graciously thought me worthy of this day and of this hour that I may receive a portion in the number of thy martyrs in the cup of thy Christ” and then he died.
 
That is how far this faithful servant of our Lord was willing to go! How devoted are we? I think it is something we should all be willing to ponder…

Devotedly yours,
Pastor Ron