Of course, the writer is referring to Jesus & the scriptures describing His desertion by the very disciples whom He had trained and loved, and who professed to love Him. And the quote coming from someone who has experienced the most extreme example of "friends" deserting him in modern times (Ted Haggard), the point is well taken.
"Then all his disciples deserted him and ran away." This is a stage that has to happen to all of us if we want to be crucified. No reason to blame "the disciples." All of us have to die on our own crosses with our families and mockers watching, "disciples" claiming not to know you.- Ted Haggard
Jesus had experienced yet another kind of persecution. This type is rarely if ever done in public - it is done behind the scenes and behind our backs. It is the worst kind of attack because it comes from those who profess to "love you, brother". It is betrayal, plain and simple.
Where I've run into trouble on this issue is that I expected the church to be a place where I would find refuge from this type of behavior. For example, I had hoped that Galatians 6:10 would be lived out loud and that the church, of all places, would be a place where people worked hard at least trying to implement this scripture in their lives.
I was wrong.
In fact, I found that the church can be a breeding ground for false accusation, rumor and innuendo, lust, pride, competition and even outright lies.
Just like the rest of the world.
Maybe even worse because of the hypocrisy involved.
Jesus Himself felt deserted by God in His wilderness experience. Indeed, the church itself can be a desert - a wasteland where we can find ourselves wandering and even doubting our faith.
Yes, I was wrong about the church.
But not in the way I used to think I was wrong...
I was wrong because I saw myself as a victim. I used to fight my own battles instead of allowing God to fight them for me. Then it occurred to me (and brother Ted) that perhaps God allows this type of persecution to occur in our lives to help us to identity more with His son.
It is apparently a hard lesson we must all learn. Although we should try to create an atmosphere of trust and love, ultimately we cannot find refuge in the church, or anywhere else in this world.
There is only one refuge - Jesus Himself.
I was wrong because I saw myself as a victim. I used to fight my own battles instead of allowing God to fight them for me. Then it occurred to me (and brother Ted) that perhaps God allows this type of persecution to occur in our lives to help us to identity more with His son.
It is apparently a hard lesson we must all learn. Although we should try to create an atmosphere of trust and love, ultimately we cannot find refuge in the church, or anywhere else in this world.
There is only one refuge - Jesus Himself.
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