Did you ever watch the movie
Spartacus?
There is a famous scene in the film that is
based on an historical event.
Spartacus, you might remember, was a slave who
led a rebellion against the oppression of the Roman Empire. He had two major
victories, but eventually the Roman army, led by General Marcus Crassus, defeated
the rebels and surrounded the thousand or so survivors.
Crassus then announced to the
captured rebels that all of them would be spared the sentence of crucifixion if
only they would identify and hand over Spartacus, whom the Roman leaders had
never seen face-to-face.
After a deafening silence Spartacus stood up
and declared, “I am Spartacus.” A moment later, the rebel next to him stood up
and said, “I am Spartacus.”
Then, one by one, all the rebels got to their feet and shouted, “I am Spartacus.” In the end, all of them were crucified.
Certainly the story has been
embellished by Hollywood. But even so, it’s an inspiring testament to the
loyalty of followers being willing to stand up for their leader.
I’m sure you know the old hymn, “Stand up,
stand up, for Jesus.” It’s a noble sentiment, and most of us would like to think
that we do that. But how many of us are really willing to “stand up” for Jesus?
One of Jesus’ closest friends and disciples,
Peter, was absolutely sure of his loyalty. Just before Jesus was arrested, Peter
told him (Matt 26:33-35):
“Even
if all fall away on account of you, I never will."
“I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this
very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
But
Peter declared. "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,”
Well, you know how that
story ended. When Jesus was arrested, those who had so vigorously promised to
support him to the end denied him or ran away and watched from a safe distance.
But let’s not be too critical. Would we have
been any different? We like to hope we would have, but in moments of weakness,
there are times when we really don’t “stand up and be counted.”
It might not be a life or death matter. It
could be as simple as telling the truth. Or standing by a principle, or
resisting a temptation. It might be refusing to go along with the crowd when the
crowd is doing something we know is wrong, or it could be failing to tell others
of Jesus’ goodness when an opportunity presents itself.
No one likes to be thought of as different. But
being a follower of Jesus means identifying with Jesus and letting him shape how
we think and live. That might mean there are times when we have to be willing to
stand up for what we believe, no matter what the consequences.
We are all willing to sing “Stand up, stand up, for Jesus.” But doing it can often be another matter. Peter had trouble at first, but eventually he became the rock Jesus intended him to be.
We might be having trouble too, but as we grow in Jesus with the Holy Spirit’s help, our actions will eventually be consistent with our hearts.
I’m Joseph Tkach, speaking of LIFE.
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