Reflections on Polycarp

The account of Polycarp detailed in the last post is a story that is challenges me on a personal level.  Every time I read it I am confronted with the question:

Would I be willing to suffer such great persecution and even lay down my life in the most cruel of fashions because of my love for and devotion to Jesus?

I can only hope and pray that in such difficult circumstances my resolve to stand for Christ would be as strong as it is in the moments of life when the circumstances are in no way threatening. I love the following line from the account of the martyrdom of Polycarp:

Now, as Polycarp was entering into the stadium, there came to him a voice from heaven, saying, “Be strong, and show thyself a man, O Polycarp!”

I would pray that in the difficult hour as well as the peaceful hour the Spirit of God would be so prevelant in my life that, like Polycarp, I would be able to stand and show myself a man. A man committed to Christ come what may. A man empowered by the Holy Spirit to endure whatever trial was appointed for me to suffer. A man sure of his faith in the face of certain persecution. Let me make a couple of observations about Polycarp.

1. Polycarp’s ability to stand in the moment of persecution was given to Him by the Holy Spirit in the years of devotion to Christ.

Unfortunately we as believers have a tendency to want to bypass the hard work of the private, devotional life. The busyness of our lives coupled with the ease with which we can practice our faith in our society often leads us to neglect what one pastor called “the holy hour”. But the strength to stand in the difficult day doesn’t come in the difficult day. It comes in the years, days, and hours of personal communion with the Lord that occur before the difficult day dawns. The reason that Polycarp willingly submitted to the flames on the day of his death was because of the fact that he had willingly submitted his heart and mind to prayer, study of the Word, and fellowship with Christ for many years prior to his martyrdom. If I am unwilling to surrender my life to Christ in the day of peace, chances are very slim that I will surrender my life on account of Christ in the day of persecution.

2. Polycarp’s faith was greater in his moment of trial than was his fear.

I cannot imagine that some measure of fear did not grip Polycarp as he considered what awaited him. As those prophetic words “I must be burnt alive” rolled off his lips, it seems only logical to conclude that there must have been a sense of dread for Polycarp as he understood what was to come to him because of his faith in Christ. But even amidst the fear he surely experienced, his faith was always greater. Through faith he knew that God would give him the strength to endure his suffering. Through faith he knew that the Lord would empower him to maintain a bold witness for Christ all the way through. Through faith he knew that the glories of heaven awaited him once his martyrdom was complete. His faith was never compromised by fear.

3. Polycarp’s story proves that God is faithful – even in the fire

In the end, the story of Polycarp’s martyrdom is not about Polycarp. His story is about the Lord. Now the Lord didn’t prevent Polycarp from having to suffer the fire. However, the Lord did carry Polycarp through the fire. The testimony of how the fire arched around Polycarp without consuming him reminds me of how the Lord protected Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the fiery flames as recorded in Daniel 3. It’s a powerful reminder that the Lord cares for His own. Even when His own encounter pain, suffering, persecution, and death, God graciously carries His own through their trial. Whatever the circumstances of life may be, the reality is that God is faithful to the end.

I hope that the story of Polycarp encourages you and inspires you. I pray that your commitment will be to walk in fellowship with Christ in all circumstances, good and bad, faithful to the end.

Next Post: What happens when we S.U.F.F.E.R. for the cause of Christ?
Later this week: The Chronology of the Passion Week