There’s a pop song released in June 1972 by Jim Croce titled, “You don’t mess around with Jim.” The chorus to the music is:
you don’t tug on superman’s cape
you don’t spit into the wind
you don’t pull the mask of the old lone ranger
and you don’t mess around with jim
Spitting into the wind
“You don’t mess around with Jim.” is a peppy song, but I have to state my protestation after all these years. There are times in the life of a Christian when we metaphorically “spit into the wind.”
In John 7:46-49, we find that people, not yet saved, were so impacted by the words of Jesus that they challenged the authorities.
46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.”
The writings of the Rabbis are full of scorn and contempt for the untutored multitude, whom they called ‘am hāāretz, “people of the earth,” as opposed to those instructed in the Law, whom they called ‘ām kōdesh, “holy people.”
– Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers on John 7:49
Taking our stand
Here’s the thing, even when confronted by the wind of popular belief, we must stand our ground, and speak the Good News of Jesus, metaphorically spitting into the wind since the “wise” twist God’s Word and throw it back at us.
Susan Ashton released a Christian song titled “Stand” that had this phrase:
In a moment of truth at the top of the hill
I open my arms and let go of my will
And stand with my face to the wind
With the storm beating down on this sacred ground
Standing firm
Somewhere in each of our lives, we will come to a line in the sand, a patch of truth which we know we must not yield no matter how pitched our battle. Our Lord has called us to stand firm. As God’s Word states in 1 Corinthians 15:58, we must “be steadfast, immovable,” even if it feels like our words just fall to the ground. Nevertheless, we must stand; we must spit into the wind.
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