What will they say about us?
Have you ever wondered about what people in the future will say about us? Maybe you don’t think it’s a particularly relevant question. I don’t know. But ponder this with me:
I think it’s safe to say there is a blanket view of the Israelites who were around at the time of Christ. We look back at them and say they rejected Him. But when we really stop and think about it – who really rejected Christ? Jesus went out among the average, everyday Israelites. He spoke to them. He healed them. He nurtured them. And in returned they believed in Him. Thousands of people followed Him everywhere He went. These people embraced Jesus. They did not reject Him.
The Real Rejectors
However, there was a set of ruling elites. One group was political and not necessarily religious (Herod, et al) and the other was the religious leaders (the Pharisees) who were very much in charge. These two groups together dominated the landscape and with it the minds of many. These elites are the ones that rejected Christ. They most definitely did not appreciate Jesus’ presence. They wanted Jesus gone because He was a threat to them and their authority.
They arrested Jesus and stirred up the mob to convince the Roman rulers to crucify Him. Yes, the Jewish leaders bulldozed a crucifixion of a man who was guilty of nothing. They rejected Him out of their own pride, out of their own greed. And because of their rejection – the whole country was labeled as rejectors.
What About Us?
So now back to my point about us and what people in the future will say about us. Will they say the United States started off as a Christian nation but within 300 years we all turned away and rejected Christ?
Will that be a true statement of all of us? Or did we fall into the same trap as the Israelites? We have our ruling elite (the politicians, powerful corporations and unions, tech and media empires, and the entertainment industry). This ruling class likes things to be done their way and the views/desires of the average, everyday citizen are simply irrelevant to them.
Is it possible most of this country does have a strong set of moral beliefs and embraces Christ? Will we go down in history as rejectors for something our rulers did? Or will be go down as believers because of something we did? What will be our future narrative?
Give thanks to the Lord; call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done.
1 Chronicles 16:8
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:6