Monthly Musing

                                
                                                                    THEY GOT LOCKED UP!


                                                                                  by James Baker, 
                                                               (minister Mt.Airy church of Christ)


Prison is a horrible place and it is designed a place of punishment for those who work evil. 
Going to prison isn’t supposed to be a resort, it is to be a place where the 
offenders suffer for the evil they have committed.   Inside prisons there are 
murderers, thieves, drug dealers, rapist and other criminals.  No innocent person should
suffer in the grip of prison miserable torture. It has been said, “it is better for 10 felons to go
free than one innocent person to go to jail.”       With that statement I fully agree.


However, there is a dark spot in history and even now in existence in some places.
A christian, a child of God. A righteous person, one who is setting a good 
example by being a light to the world. Phil 2.15  He is teaching the word of God to 
educate men on what it takes to be saved from hell. Jude 23. Such wonderful souls
have been subjected to the threat of imprisonment or arrested and put in prison.   
This happens when the community is on the wrong track; for no rational thinking 
civilization would put such people in harm way.   

​
Lets consider the righteous who have been arrested and jailed.  

Jesus Christ, the son of God.  He wasn’t a criminal, he was a meek and holy and sent to
give Himself ransom for the sins of men, Romans 5.8-9    Jesus Christ is the best 
example of an outstanding citizen.   Yet He went to jail. 1 Pt 2.21-25


That is what happens when the world goes evil and refuses salvation.  People who don’t
deserve it, gets hurt. Eccl 3.16 Eccl 8.14.  When Jesus was arrested, the police came fully armed
and He questioned why they had to arrest Him with all those weapons since He wasn’t a criminal. Mk 14.48-49.  But they arrested Him and He was put in jail after being being mocked and beaten.      Why?  That's the question we keep asking. And bear in mind that while this innocent law abiding person was being unjustly assaulted by law enforcement. Criminals were committing crimes.  


John the Baptist.  This guy didn't bother anybody.   He lived in the desert and preached and taught people who came out to listen.  John gave instruction on how to live to be approved in the eyes of God. And what did all that get him?  A jail cell.   John instructed the wrong persons and I say wrong persons, because they weren’t receivers of God's word. And as a result we have, John sitting in a dungeon. Why should John the Baptist be in jail?  Why?  He didn't rob anybody, he didn't rape a woman, he didn't steal funds. John was guilty of telling the Governor the truth.  This official was in a marriage which he shouldn't had been. John corrected him about the matter and Herod had John arrested and jailed. Matt 14.3-11   So we see a climate where people don't want the word of God and imprison those who teach it.  John 8.37-47  John 10.31-39.


Now lets look at Christians who lived during new testament times. They were following the word of God, decent citizens, outstanding individuals that didn't steal, curse, get drunk.   They didn't do the kinds of bad things that would bring police to arrest them because they upheld the law. They paid taxes and preached the gospel to get other people to live holy and be saved. Acts 8.4   But what did that get them?  Apostle Paul a great preacher of the gospel, lived his life the way it ought to be, 
he followed the example of Christ and he wasn't a criminal, he's out there trying to help people live the right and he ended up in jail. Acts 20.33-34. Acts 16.16-24. Acts 21.10-13. Acts 21;30-33.


Christians could not assemble and they were hunted like criminals, they were fugitives.   But why were these noble and humble people treated like criminals?  Why were they thrown into jail cells, why? why? why?     Acts 4.13-22.  Acts 5.12-42. Acts 7.1-60


  Now we get into the reason why society was all wrong.  The saints lived in communities that did not know the Lord God.   And if those societies did not know the Lord, they would not recognize anyone who lived the way the Lord would want men to be.    So, the ungodly were intimidated by these upright, holy, and righteous people.They the christians, weren’t like them, so the only thing they knew to do was get rid of them.   That involved putting them in jail or killing them.  Rev 2.10 


I know the threat of being locked up is very real today. There is so much apathy towards the things of the Lord and so much hostility towards anyone who would dare to speak the word of God.   I don't think any of us can ever be comfortable that righteous people will not be threatened by the authorities. There are some countries where a person teaching the gospel cannot do so. 

The best thing the faithful can do is ask the Lord for courage to teach and take this awful cup from us, if it be His will.   None of us want to go to jail for preaching the truth, because we do a service, not a threat.   We want to preach and win souls and feel good about what we're doing.   So while we have the chance to preach and not be locked up, we need to make the most of it.  Let us never take for granted the freedoms that we have to speak the word of the Lord and not have to  worry about authorities knocking on our doors with handcuffs