Acts 5:41-42 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.

Two things about this episode are very instructional and worthy of emulation. The first is that they rejoiced to be counted worthy of suffering disgrace. Disgrace is not something anyone enjoys, unless they have been twisted into emotional masochism. However their joy was not at the disgrace itself, but that they had been counted worthy to suffer it. Actually, this was pretty physical “disgrace,” because it says that they were flogged. However, the memory of what Jesus went through before His crucifixion was still sharp in their minds, and the idea that they would be allowed to “participate in the sufferings of Christ,” as Peter later wrote, (1 Peter 4:13) was a high honor. Not having seen Jesus’ crucifixion with our own eyes, it isn’t as easy to have this reaction today, but I’m sure that many who endure active persecution today are given this revelation to sustain them. The other point we need to notice here is that they were taking every opportunity to proclaim the Gospel, and being flogged for it didn’t slow them down a bit. Few people are so earnest today, even without the fear of being flogged for it! The frequency was daily, and the location was both public (the temple) and private (from house to house). This was proclamation, and it went beyond that to teaching, just as Jesus said in the Great Commission: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20) We aren’t to “dunk ’em and drop ’em,” but proclaim until there is repentance and faith, and then nurture and teach until there is full, active discipleship.

I don’t feel like I have personally “suffered shame” for the Gospel, and I have certainly never been flogged for proclaiming it, so I have to examine myself as to how faithfully I have made use of the opportunities I have been given. As a pastor/teacher I am to be equipping the believers for the work of ministry, (Ephesians 4:11-12) so my concern is also for how well they are making use of the opportunities they are given. Japan is certainly not an easy place for that, because cultural norms do not include talking about faith, and as a Japanese speaker at a recent meeting was saying, few Japanese are spiritually hungry. Actually, I would qualify that to say that few Japanese recognize their spiritual hunger. Every human being is created with a need and desire for a relationship with their Creator, but that has been blunted and masked to a high degree in this nation. I am not to give up by any means, but be active in prayer that the Holy Spirit may open people’s eyes to their own condition as well as to the Savior who died to lift them out of that, so that more and more may be brought from darkness to light, from death to life, for the glory of God.

Father, thank You for speaking to me just now that You have considered me worthy of a lack of recognition and honor. That’s not on the level of being flogged, certainly, but it’s something that has bothered me occasionally. Help me indeed keep my eyes on the prize (Philippians 3:14) and stay faithful and strong, for as long as You have use for me here, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!