“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him, who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you do not grow weary and lose heart” [Hebrews 12:1-3]. This passage found in the New Testament book of Hebrews, sets forth an amazing statement about the attitude of Jesus regarding the oppression and hostility of those in the culture of His day that opposed Him, to the point of clamoring for his execution.
But what does it really mean that He ‘despised the shame’? Does it mean He rejected the humiliation/embarrassment of suffering [possibly naked] a slow, painful death on a Roman cross, as if He were a criminal? Did He despise the shame because He was not in fact feeling any remorse, or regret, and felt no shame at all? “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; [I Peter 2: 21-23]. Jesus claimed that no one could find Him guilty of sin [John 8:46] and the apostle Peter confirms that assertion in the passage above quoted: “who committed no sin.” So, we might conclude that one reason Jesus ‘despised’ or rejected the attempt to shame Him was that He had in fact committed no moral wrong or sin against God.
Another reason Jesus despised the shame is that He was carrying out the pre-determined plan of God to suffer an ignominious sacrificial death as payment for the sins of humankind. This ‘plan’ is increasingly viewed with contempt by those who reject it, leaving those who believe in the ‘plan of God’ [the Gospel message] at risk of feeling shamed by the culture for believing something ‘out of touch with the cultural opinions of modern times’.
The apostle Paul also appears to reject any attempt to feel ashamed for his belief in Jesus and the gospel ‘plan’: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek [i.e., Gentiles]. The reason Paul gives for his not feeling ashamed is his conviction that the gospel plan of God is THE means, THE medium, THE pathway to individual salvation for everyone, regardless of ethnicity. He says “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for [because] it is the power of God for salvation…” For Paul to be unashamed he must have become absolutely convinced that there was no alternative to the gospel as a means of finding deliverance from sin and the wrath of God. Achieving righteousness sufficient to deliver ourselves from eternal death was/is not obtainable by us on our own-it must somehow be given to us, imputed/granted as a merciful gift in exchange for our personal faith in Jesus: “He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” [Titus 3:5].
If you are convinced that something is true, you may choose to ignore, or protest if someone tries to shame you because of your belief. The key is how strong is your belief? If your belief is only inherited belief and not of your own making, you will be more susceptible to being ‘shamed’ or feeling embarrassed for your beliefs, and thus more easily silenced. Silencing Christians is a major objective of those who oppose Christ. “But if anyone suffers as a Christian, he should not be [i.e. feel] ashamed, but should glorify God with that name [i.e. Christian]” I Peter 4:16.
As western, and especially American culture becomes increasingly hostile to the Gospel message, unless we are firmly grounded in the truthfulness of that message, we are more likely to crater, or shrink back in embarrassment, when others try to shame us into silence for believing in the Jesus of the scriptures. As Paul wrote to his mentee, Timothy: “Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze the gift of God that is within you…For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me His prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the Gospel, relying on the power of God” [II Tim1:6-8].
Perhaps some cultures are more ‘shame based’ than others, but often a culture at large or a sub-culture within a larger one, will use shame/embarrassment to control, and influence people’s behavior and beliefs. As ‘cultural Christianity’ has become increasingly viewed as an undesirable and even dangerous relic from the past, those who fail to ‘get in line’ with that view, and especially those who offer, promote, or proclaim the message of Jesus, will only increasingly experience ‘shaming’ by the culture.
Am I, are you, ready, and mentally, emotionally, and spiritually equipped with the needed depth of conviction to ‘despise,’ reject, and ignore such cultural attempts at shaming and silencing us? Will we have the courage to continue lovingly sharing and proclaiming to others, that ‘preposterous’ claim that the living God of the universe entered this world via a small baby, born to a poor Jewish couple two thousand years ago?
“For whoever is ashamed of Me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the Holy angels” [Luke 9:26].
CJS
Thank You Curt, for the insight.
As persecution increases, we will see our faith tested. We must make sure that our beliefs are genuinely our convictions. We may withdraw from, or change our beliefs. However, we will be willing to die for our convictions.
Thanks Dan; good comment. Perhaps some with ‘merely’ casual beliefs don’t realize they are not really deeply held convictions.
As persecution increases, we will see our faith tested. We must make sure that our beliefs are genuinely our convictions. We may withdraw from, or change our beliefs. However, we will be willing to die for our convictions.
I agree in part with what you say. I have never denied being a christian and when we lived in a moslem country we were never shamed for being Christians. Our relationshipwith our moslem friends was that of mutual respect. This is how I see it at this time. Thank you for bringing up this intetesting topic.
Thanks Mona for your comment. I would imagine that as long as we don’t assert our ‘religious’ views as authoritative, we can get along better with others who hold different views, whether they be of another religious faith, or are simply secularists or even atheists. I think the ‘rub’ comes when we assert that Jesus is the God-man who is the pathway to redemption. Presenting Jesus to others in the way that He Himself claimed, is frankly quite controversial, provocative, and inflammatory.