Not Ashamed
“For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
The word “ashamed” means to have a negative feeling caused by something that we think is dishonorable, immoral, improper, or ridiculous whether in ourselves or in others. When someone acts in one of these ways and we are embarrassed by these acts, we may blush, turn away, or change the subject because we are uncomfortable with what has happened. This may result in strained relationships with others or pushing others away in order to escape those awkward moments.
On the other hand, when someone behaves well, it creates good feelings. We will talk about what happened to others and “brag” on the positive behavior. We will feel pride instead of shame and be encouraged to engage in a deeper relationship with these persons. We want that because their behavior makes us feel good and creates circumstances where we are less self-conscious.
Pulling all of this together, what Jesus is saying in Mark 8:38 is that those who are ashamed of Him in an adulterous and sinful generation, have their values wrong. Jesus is pure, holy, good, and right. We should feel good about knowing Him and associating with His body, the church. If we find ourselves ashamed of Jesus and His people, we need to examine ourselves. The fault is not in Jesus, but in ourselves for honoring the wrong values. When those values are right, we will love Him and His people and want to associate with them at every opportunity. To turn away from such values is to dishonor Jesus, and one day, He will dishonor us, if we do not repent.
God bless you, and I love you.
Kevin Cauley