Cowardice and Christianity
/Cowardice can be defined as “a trait wherein fear and excessive self-concern override doing or saying what is right, good, and of help to others or oneself in a time of need—it is the opposite of courage.”
For years I have considered cowardice to be one of the most incompatible traits for those who follow Christ.
Cowardice is an anti-virtue.
Scripture is full of cowardice, from Abraham offering his wife to Abimelech in order to escape trouble (Genesis 2:20), David killing off Uriah in order to avoid the consequences of taking Uriah's wife (2 Samuel 11), or Pilate giving up Jesus to be tortured and killed because he was afraid of upsetting the crowds (John 19). A few examples of many.
Bold living is extraordinarily difficult, painful and risky. However, to live cowardly is to choose self over others, comfort over Christ-likeness, and ease over sacrifice. To live a life of cowardice is to not follow the way of the Cross.
Look at just a few examples where cowardice was rebuked by Jesus and his disciples.
Galatians 2:11-21 – Paul confronts Peter when he finds that Peter is forcing believers into cultural norms out of his fear of the popular and culturally powerful (Judaisers). The cowardice of choosing to pursue cultural worship over the Gospel way. We see this today in christian nationalism.
Mark 4:35-41 – Jesus calls out the disciples for their doubting his power, acting I n self-centered fear when the storm came on their boat. The cowardice of trying to control life rather than trust Abba.
Luke 9:54-55 – Jesus rebukes James and John when they wanted to offer death and war (fire from heaven) against a culture that didn’t welcome him. He replies that he came to save life, not destroy it. The cowardice of waging war instead of offering healing.
John 12:1-7 – Before his betrayal, Jesus tells Judas to leave Mary alone as Judas is nagging her about wasting money. Jesus consistently calls out loving wealth and material comfort when it gets in the way of loving him or others. (see John 2, Matt. 21, Matt. 19:16-30). The cowardice of choosing self-concern over the welfare of others.
Mark 16:14 – After his resurrection, Jesus quite sternly rebukes his male disciples for hiding in fear and not listening to the testimony of the women who saw him alive. The cowardice of believing your own fear-based thinking, often at the oppression of others.
Mark 10:13-16 – The disciples are rebuking parents for bringing their kids to Jesus, to which Jesus swiftly rebukes the disciples. Culturally, kids were by far the ‘least’ among the adults, little more than a nuisance. Jesus rebukes the cowardly way of only loving those of culturally high-status, at the expense of loving the culturally least and lowest. The cowardice of adopting the easy way of entitlement over the hard way of loving the 'least of these'.
Jesus consistently rebukes the way of cowardice: the way of choosing self over loving others, seeking ease at the expense of the down and out, or helping one’s own cause when it oppresses or neglects the poor and needy.
Cowardice is so looked down on by Jesus, that in Revelation 21:8
he condemns the cowardly alongside the faithless and detestable.
How do you know if you’re choosing cowardice over the way of the cross?
Here are a few questions to help you sift through that hard question.
-To whom do you give your extra time, energy and money? Would they be considered the powerful, or the oppressed?
-When was the last time you chose to seek the good of someone else, or some other people group, at the cost of your own self-interests?
-Do you choose to support others because they primarily look after your self-interests, or because they look out for the ‘least of these’ (poor, widowed, orphaned…)
-When sin becomes apparent in systems that you are a part of (church, politics, work, etc), how do you choose to deal with it? Do you look the other way when people are mistreated? Do you try to pretend it away, or do you find a way to use your position and power to right the wrongs that are in your presence?
My encouragement is this: Be audacious as you confront sin and love the unloved.
Jesus always risked his reputation to boldly love because he was sure of his reputation with his Father.
Love boldly, confront gently, and stand firm in the faith.
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