Are We Free To Flee?

“23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next…”
Matthew 10:23a

The Christian Mission is Costly

The Christian mission is unavoidably costly. No one who has actually read and understood the words of Jesus of Nazareth could tell you otherwise. Yet it is the most important mission that could ever be undertaken. It is impossible to live for something greater, and it is foolish to live for anything less. Those who refuse to acknowledge the Lord Jesus Christ before men, will be denied by Jesus Christ before the Father, (Matt. 10:32-33).

But, while every Christian is called to “take up their cross” and follow Christ, it would be naive to conclude that this means there is never a time to “flee”. In Matthew 10:23, Jesus tells his disciples that the call to willingly suffer for the sake of the gospel is not a call to suffer mindlessly. Jesus said that when the (true biblical) gospel is forcefully rejected by others, there are times to run away. But the question is: Where do we run?

Where Do We Run?

The temptation that grips us when we are confronted by the threat of persecution is to “flee” from the mission of Christ itself. Our fears and hurts can make us want to close our mouths and stop openly sharing the truth. Threats from others can make us start thinking that maybe we should just hide our faith and begin putting our lamp under a bowl, (Matt. 5:14-16). Despite what some may claim, no one is immune to these heavy temptations. Even Jesus, in the midst of his distress, asked the Father if there was any other way forward than the road of the cross, (Matt. 26:39).

If you have ever actually born witness for Christ in this world, you know at least some measure of the pressures, anxieties, temptations, and fears that fill our sinful hearts when that witness is met with rejection (or even worse). When it is our skin in the game (our job, comfort, reputation, family, etc.), we quickly discover how unlike Jesus our hearts can really be. When the threat of earthly loss comes knocking on our door, the real depth (or shallowness) of our heavenly hope is revealed. Like those beloved saints who have gone before us, we too must learn to “set our hope fully”—not partially—upon the grace which we have been promised in the gospel, (I Pet. 1:13). Little heavenly hope always results into little earthly sacrifice.

Jesus did not say “if they persecute you…”; he said “when…”. Faithfully following Christ in this world will lead us to varying levels of difficulty and persecution, (II Tim. 3:12). Nothing is going to change this fact. And our Lord tells us that “when” that persecution is faced, there will be times that we should “flee” from it and move on. As strange as it may sound, this means that there are times when it is actually our faith in Christ and our obedience to his Word that will lead us to stop making focused ministry investments in certain people and places. But this is where we have to be careful. We have permission to “flee” from persecution, but we do not have permission to run away from our mission, or the inevitable cost which is associated with it. There is a difference.

The kind of flight which Jesus sanctioned was not a retreat. It was not a white flag of surrender. It was not even a defeat. It was a bold call to a forward march for the cause of Christ among the nations. It was a command from our Master to let no opposition in this world stifle our commitment to our heavenly prerogative. Though harried and harassed by unbelieving people who prefer their sin over God’s offer of eternal life, Christians are called to continue faithfully spreading gospel seed among new fields of soil until kingdom come, (Matt. 13:1-9). Jesus never gives us permission to “flee” from the Christian mission itself—no matter how hard it may be, (Matt. 10:28). Instead, he gives us instructions to move that same mission on to other people when those to whom it has been sufficiently offered “judge themselves unworthy” of receiving God’s blessed grace, (Acts 13:46).

The Persevering Peace of Our Forward March

As we face suffering for Christ in this world, we not only need to “flee to the next town” in order to continue faithfully proclaiming the Word of Life to lost and dying souls. We must also flee to the abundant promises of God in order to find safety from the many inward doubts, fears, and temptations that plague our hearts. Though we carry the precious treasure of Christ to the world, we do so in fragile “jars of clay,” (II Cor. 4:7). It is not by our own grit or wit that we will persevere in this “Great Commission,” but by faith in the promised goodness and wisdom of our God.

Christians do not let suffering silence their witness. Why? Because God has promised to be with them in their suffering and to use every bitter stroke for their eternal good. Christians do not let threats thwart their God-given purpose. Why? Because God has promised that he is sovereign over the enemies of his people and that not a hair on their heads can fall apart from his holy will. Christians do not let potential earthly loss limit their proclamation. Why? Because they have a treasure in heaven that cannot be lost, destroyed, or taken away. Christians do not let harassment or hatred halt their heavenly testimony to the world. Why? Because the one who has ransomed our souls from death and promised us eternal life is worthy of our gratitude and unqualified obedience—even if it should cost us our earthly lives.

May the mustard seed of our faith flourish and grow until each of our own voices are raised to join the joyful choirs of heaven who sing:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing forevermore!” (Rev. 5:12). For through his sacrifice, and by his blood, he “ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation,” (Rev. 5:9).