Characters of Courage: New Testament
Characters of Courage: New Testament
BY KATHY PENROD
I love scripture stories and learning about people from an ancient time. I love the lessons that are taught through their lives. Just a few examples are Mary, Peter and Paul.
Mary -
In my mind Mary was a soft-spoken, gentle soul. I imagine her to be valiant in her testimony of God’s goodness. We know she was pure and thereby can conclude she had only the most wholesome intentions. She was so pure, in fact, that God the Father chose her to be the earthly mother of our King, Jesus Christ. As the story goes, she was only engaged to Joseph - not married. So, becoming pregnant was going to be a little bit of an issue. She lived in a time when unwed mothers weren’t accepted, in fact, they could legally be stoned to death for their “indiscretion.”
What must Mary have thought when she realized she would have to face this challenge ahead? Despite whatever logistical obstacles were in her way, she replied, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). Her courage would have had to be unparalleled as she pressed forward, trusting in God’s plan for her. Surely, she must have realized God would protect her since she was carrying the Savior of the World. But what would it have been like to be ostracized by her community? She undoubtedly heard the cruel voices as she collected her water from the well or busied herself in her daily chores. Certainly, the voices of dissent burned her ears and broke her heart. But she courageously carried out the responsibility she had been given. Can we reply to God with the same willingness when He asks something difficult of us? Mary is a beautiful exemplar of courage.
(Luke 1:27-31)
Peter -
Peter sometimes gets a bad rap because of his denial of Christ right before His crucifixion. I am sure that experience was devastating in so many ways. But there was so much more to who Peter was. He was a fearless missionary and devout disciple of Christ. However, what I want to focus on is the famous moment we know that Peter walked on water to greet the Savior. In that moment, surrounded by rough seas, Peter’s instinct was to join Jesus on the water. I imagine that he didn’t really give much thought to joining the Savior on the water. I imagine he just knew he could do anything if the Lord commanded it. And so, with Christ’s word, “come”, Peter jumped out of the ship and began to walk to Jesus. Now, we know that after a moment, Peter got distracted by the waves and succumbed to the fear. But for one moment, for an incredible moment, Peter’s courage propelled him forward towards Christ, regardless of the storm. How can I be like Peter in that moment of trust and courage? How can I propel myself towards the Savior regardless of what is happening around me. Peter’s courage is amazing!
(Matthew 14:24-30)
Paul (Saul) -
Paul’s transformation from Saul was stunning. In a moment, his whole world drastically changed. Saul was determined to destroy the Church of Christ. He was determined to make every believer suffer for their beliefs. He was very influential and had great success in his efforts. And yet. God had other plans. Saul was presented a miraculous vision that showed him Jesus Christ. Saul became converted and his name was changed to Paul. From that point on, Paul went around trying to undo the damage he had done. He spent the rest of his life preaching of Jesus Christ. Imagine what that must have been like to go before his peers and tell them he was wrong. He literally stepped away from his “crowd” after trying to get them to embrace his new beliefs. Not only that, but the existing disciples didn’t believe him that he had really changed. So, Paul, now having become an active believer in Christ, didn’t belong anywhere. He must have experienced great loneliness while the believers decided to accept him or not. At various times, Paul had to flee for his life, was imprisoned and even shipwrecked. We also know at some point he had a “thorn in his flesh”. We don’t know exactly what that was, but it couldn’t have been pleasant. His life as a disciple of Jesus Christ was not an easy one. Still, he pressed forward. He persevered. His courage as a disciple of Christ was unshakable. Could I, facing as much as Paul, have continued forward? Could I have kept the faith? In a lot of ways, Paul is like many of us. We have trials and difficulties to bear that are almost too much to bear. His example of courage shows us that we can overcome all things through Christ.
(Acts)
As we study the scriptures we will find examples for how to live our lives. Who are some other Characters of Courage you have learned about from the scriptures?
More about these courageous people:
