Beware wolves who lure you through bravado, not martyrdom: Faith Matters clergy column by Pastor Anne Barber

Another tragedy in the news. This time it's 10 people dead and nine injured in a shooting at a (gun-free zone) community college in Oregon.

The media says at one point the shooter demanded all Christians in the classroom stand to their feet. Some complied and were promptly killed.

I can't imagine what it was like to be there, and in no way do I blame any of the victims.

Why did these Christians stand up and sacrifice themselves to a madman?

I fault some teachings that encourage Christian martyrdom based on a wrong interpretation of Matthew 10:32-33: "Every one therefore who shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven."

We can deny Christ in many ways: by our words, our actions, worldly lifestyles, refusing Him or turning away from Him. We are not denying Christ by refusing to acknowledge we are Christians to a demon-possessed lunatic with a gun.

I cringed in reading Roseburg or Pastor Wibberding's sermon after the shooting: "If he had been pointing that gun at you, asking if you were Christian, what would you have said? How much does this mean to you? Imagine you were there."

One of his parishioners said: "I hope I would have stood up. I hope we can all stand up now." (The Washington Post National, Oct. 3.)

How does it glorify God and further the Gospel if you give up your life to the demands of a madman?

You're not being disloyal to Christ by disobeying a crazy person.

How are you going to continue to be a light in a dark world if you're killed?

We are to be a living sacrifice to God (Rom. 12:1). God wants us to live for Him -- not needlessly sacrifice our lives.

Some major universities now include "active shooter" training in student orientation. Shouldn't church congregations at least begin to address this issue and form a plan just in case?

We really can't continue to ignore today's reality or embrace the philosophy: Well if we're shot in the name of Jesus "so be it."

Jesus did not encourage his disciples to meekly endure violence or put their lives in jeopardy to satisfy the demands of their persecutors.

Jesus told them to flee persecution in Matt 10:23. "But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next ."

William Barclay said it best in his commentary on Matt 10:23 in The Gospel of Matthew, Vol. 1: "This passage counsels a wise and a Christian prudence. In the days of persecution. There always were those who actually courted martyrdom: They were wrought up to such a pitch of hysterical and fanatical enthusiasm, they went out of their way to become martyrs for the faith.

Jesus was wise. He told his men there must be no wanton waste of Christian lives; they must not pointlessly and needlessly throw their lives away. Bravado is not martyrdom.

Often the Christians had to die for their faith, but they must not throw away their lives in a way that did not really help the faith."

Religious emotion is fine, but Christ expects us to be careful and wise when confronting the "wolves" in our world.

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." (Matt 10:16).

The Rev. Anne Barber, pastor of My Father's House, 7215 U.S. 301 N., Ellenton. Information: aebarber08@gmail.com. Faith Matters is a regular feature of Saturday's Herald, written by local clergy members.

This story was originally published October 16, 2015 at 8:43 PM with the headline "Beware wolves who lure you through bravado, not martyrdom: Faith Matters clergy column by Pastor Anne Barber ."