Not Ashamed: 2 Timothy 1:1-14 - Ninth Sunday after Pentecost

Mark Twain famously said, “It’s easier to fool someone than to convince them they’ve been fooled.”

This simple statement goes a long way to explain why it’s so difficult to leave a religious cult, pyramid scheme, or abusive relationship.

People are drawn to communities and charismatic individuals for acceptance, identity, and belonging. You have a sense of purpose because you’re part of something bigger than yourself. You feel intelligent and special as the group or its leaders help you make sense of the world. You feel safe and secure because people are looking out for you. But once you realize you’ve been riding on the crazy train, jumping off is going to hurt—and there’s always the risk the train might come back to run you over.

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Paul knew this all too well. After Jesus struck down Saul the Pharisee and baptized him as Paul the Apostle, his former peers and superiors saw his conversion as the ultimate betrayal. It was his job to destroy Christianity, not spread it.

As Paul traveled throughout the Roman world proclaiming Christ and establishing churches, his enemies were never far behind. They spread rumors, they stirred up riots, accused him of treason against Rome. In time, Christians began to distance themselves from Paul, because wherever he showed up, there was trouble. Some Christians even considered Paul a criminal who deserved what he got. Some said he proclaimed Jesus Christ a little too boldly. If only he lowered the volume, scaled back the rhetoric, played nice with the religious authorities, he wouldn’t be in this mess.

By the time he sits down to write his second letter to the Apostle Timothy, his beloved student and most trusted friend, he is on trial for his life in Rome, and it’s not going well.

But was it possible for Paul to publicly proclaim Jesus Christ without ruffling any feathers? Can you be a disciple of Jesus Christ and never experience conflict with the world around you?

For Paul, the answer is NO. Paul’s second letter to Timothy was a warning that what happened to him could happen to Timothy, too. Saying YES to Jesus means saying NO to the kingdoms of men, and they don’t take rejection very well, because they want to own you: mind, body, and soul.

Shame is the world’s—and the devil’s—most effective weapon against those who do not submit. The purpose of shaming is to reduce a human being to vermin.

To be ashamed is to submit to that worthlessness that others impose on you. Nobody wants to go through that. Shame is such an unpleasant experience that we try to avoid it at all costs. The best way to do that is by conforming to the ideals and expectations of those around you. You say “yes’ when you should say “no.” You keep silent when you should speak up; you speak up when you should stay silent; you change who you are and what you believe to fit in. But when you do that, you cease to be a person. You surrender your mind, body, and soul to the will of others. You become a tool for other people to use and abuse.

Saul the Pharisee was part of a community that demanded submission, conformity, and loyalty. He had a role he was expected to fulfill. The Pharisees could have just let him go and kept on doing their thing. But they needed to destroy Paul to maintain their power and prestige. They needed to make an example of him: go against us, follow Christ, and you’ll share his fate. Christ’s crucifixion was Rome and Pontius Pilate’s way of saying the same thing.

Shame is one of the devil’s most effective tools to keep you entangled in sin. The devil wants you to believe that rejection is too high a cost to be paid for Jesus Christ. And it isn’t just people’s rejection that you have to fear. Loyalty to Christ will cost you the enjoyment of what this world has to offer. It will take you out of your comfort zone. It will get in the way of your plans. You will miss out on fun and exciting things your friends enjoy. I’ve known many Christians who lost jobs, friendships, romantic relationships, large sums of money, and more on account of their obedience to Jesus.

I will go so far to say that if your love for Jesus Christ hasn’t cost you something, are you truly following him?

The world will say that we are fools for worshiping a God we cannot see; for trusting a God who allows bad things to happen to good people. The world will say that we are weak for loving our enemies and forgiving those who sin against us. Some Christians will say that we’re a dead church because we’re small or because we don’t worship like they do or adhere to their doctrines. Some may even say we’re all going to hell.

But I’m glad to be a fool for believing in the transformative power of love; for seeking peace and reconciliation rather than dominance. I’m not ashamed to be a small church because Christ’s power is made perfect in weakness. There’s no room for shame in a life that’s lived in Christ, just “perfect submission, all is at rest, you in your Savior are happy and blessed, watching and waiting, looking above, filled with his goodness, lost in his love.”