Facing opposition

Ben Still challenges us to see the face of Jesus in others.

Key text

• Acts 4:1–31

We all face opposition at some point or another. Often this will be mundane things, such as opposing an erroneous parking ticket or trying to get recalcitrant kids dressed and ready for school. However, every so often, we will be faced with opposition that’s much more significant.

In my role as refugee response manager, I have the privilege of encountering on a regular basis people who have faced the kinds of opposition that most people living in the UK and Ireland Territory have never had to face. Yet, despite this, they have found the courage and resilience to maintain hope and move forward.

In Acts 4, we read how Peter and John become the first Christians to be imprisoned for their faith, and their reaction – and the reaction of the early Church – to that. What can we learn from their experience about how we might find courage to face opposition?

Pause and reflect

• Is there a time in your life when you have faced opposition?
• What gave you the courage to move forward?

In verse 13 we read: ‘When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realised that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.’

The leaders linked the courage of Peter and John to the fact they had encountered and spent time with Jesus. How do we encounter Jesus? I think this could be through the Bible, through creation or through prayer.

My most significant and transformative encounters have been when mind, body and spirit have all been engaged and present in the same moment. This has usually been when the Bible has been brought to life for me through a significant life event.

On reflection, this is unsurprising when we consider Matthew 25:34–40, when Jesus tells us that we encounter him when we choose to spend time with those in need.

Sam Wells in his book A Nazareth Manifesto: Being with God sums up the significance of these encounters: ‘Go, and continue to see the face of Jesus in the despised and rejected of the world. You are not their benefactor. You are not the answer to their prayers. They are the answer to yours.’

People seeking asylum in the UK and Ireland have become some of the most despised and rejected people in society. It is by being with them in their most difficult times that I have learnt the most about Jesus and what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

In these times, we have both been transformed and these encounters have given us both the courage to move forwards – them on their journey to peace and safety, and I in my calling to advocate for a kinder, more compassionate welcome of sanctuary seekers.

Pause and reflect

• When have you encountered Jesus in an interaction with another person?
• What did each of you learn?
• Did you feel courage or conviction because of that encounter?

In verse 31 we read that courage also comes from unity in prayer: ‘After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.’

A friend who has living experience of the UK asylum system said the following of our study passage: ‘It describes a moment when the early followers of Jesus prayed for boldness in the face of opposition. They acknowledged the threats against them but asked for strength to continue spreading the message of Jesus despite the challenges. It’s a powerful example of faith and perseverance in the face of adversity, seeking divine guidance and empowerment to carry out their mission.’

Knowing their harrowing journey to the UK, and having sat with them in the darkest times of their journey through the asylum system, I know they have experienced first-hand the courage that has come from answered prayer in multiple, life-or-death situations.

It is significant that, in this passage, it is a group of followers who raise their voices in prayer, not just an individual. In Matthew 18:19 and 20 we read: ‘Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on Earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’

When there is a difficult decision to be made, followers of Jesus should meet as a group to discern the way forward. These verses highlight, once again, how we encounter Jesus when we have a deep encounter with the other person. More than that, it speaks to, as my friend put it, ‘the divine guidance and empowerment’ that comes through prayerful communion with God and one another. We are all part of the body of Christ, each with our own unique journey and perspective. Where is this more powerfully brought together than in corporate prayer? And what is the outcome of corporate prayer and discernment? I would suggest it is unity. And with unity, the boldness to move forward together.

Pause and reflect

• When making decisions in your church community, how diverse are the Christian voices involved in your process of discernment?
• How can you increase opportunities for corporate prayer in your setting?