John 7:13 Yet no one was speaking openly of Him for fear of the Jews.
Apparently the Jews, the Jewish leaders, were a very intimidating group of men. So much so that no one openly talked about Jesus at the feast of Booths. Those who thought He was a good man (vs. 12) must have made sure they only gave their opinion to people with whom they felt safe. Have you ever been intimidated into silence? Have you experienced the fear that comes from censorship and rejection?
There are going to be times in our lives when we know we have to speak the truth in love in an atmosphere that is hostile to Christ. Usually that hostility has grown there because of the intimidation of important people in that community or social circle. There are certain circles where spiritual discussions are frowned upon or forbidden. It takes a lot of courage and love to speak up about Jesus in those circles.
We need the discernment and discretion of Jesus to know when to speak and when not to. Even Jesus hesitated to go too, because He knew they were hostile to Him and wanted to kill Him. But I think we can be sure that His reluctance wasn’t fear-based. It had more to do with God’s timing, because He did go later. When He went, we’ve learned that He didn’t keep silent. He went to the temple and began teaching. As He taught, the responses were guarded to non-existent. I think we can assume that the way the Jewish leaders intimidated the crowd was by their asking where He got His ideas. Essentially, they were saying that Jesus wasn’t teaching what the reputable rabbis were teaching. They asserted that He wasn’t educated by anyone with any authority or notoriety, therefore should be rejected and censored. Fear was stifling the crowd from talking about Him or His teaching.
As we go through our day, let’s not let intimidation hinder our speaking about Jesus or loving people God puts in our paths. We can trust God to use every situation and encounter for His glory as we wait on the Holy Spirit for ways to love them. Father, help us overcome fear of rejection and censorship. Give us discernment and discretion, as well as love and courage to speak out regardless of the environment. Make us bright lights in the darkness.
I invite you to become a partner in our ministry. Would you pray about becoming a regular supporter of Elijah Ministries and the Live to Love with Jesus ministry? I hope you will receive the joy and benefit of "giving it forward," so others may receive encouragement to turn their hearts to God and to live to love with Jesus. You may give online or send a check to the address listed at www.spiritofelijah.com/donate.
