All mothers know that if their children are in danger, they will do anything in their power to bring them back to safety. To varying degrees, this willingness to put ourselves on the line is also true for everyone: depending on the degree to which we love the person who is in danger.
Saint Paul wrote to his beloved disciple Timothy speaking about Jesus in this way. Beloved, he says, remember Jesus Christ ... such is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of chains, like a criminal (2 Tim 2:8-9). Paul's conversion was dramatic, but he had come to understand that Jesus is willing to go to any length in order to save his beloved children. Paul came to understand this truth because his love for and commitment to Jesus had been nurtured through the example he found in the apostles and in other disciples of Jesus, to the point where he could endure even prison because he knew that the word of God is not chained; it is free, active, at work in the hearts of all believers and even in the hearts of those who doubt it's power.
Have you known people who are so committed to their faith that they would willingly suffer rather than deny it? What about you? Has your faith been strengthened through the example of others? Do you take time to listen for the still small voice of Jesus who is always ready to instruct your heart? Have you discovered the wisdom that comes from His words ... they are not chained, they are free and they continually invite us to discover the joy of being his disciples.
Have a great day.
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