"Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate" (Proverbs 31:8)

“So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then He taught, saying to them, 'Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves.' And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. When evening had come, He went out of the city.” (Mark 11:15-19)

Jesus demonstrated a great deal of courage when He confronted the common practices at the temple. The money changers and sellers were oppressing the common people and making a profit for themselves, the scribes and chief priests. They were cheating and extorting the people (den of thieves) who had came to offer sacrifices to God. As I heard once in a sermon, people had come many miles with their sacrifices. The priests were declaring the sacrifices the people brought as blemished and then giving them the only option to purchase their sacrifice there at an extremely high price. [a]

To have courage means to be strong, mighty and/or brave [1]. It is “the strength of purpose that enables one to withstand fear or difficulty.” [2]. Having the physical courage to stand against difficulty and/or withstand fear is based upon moral courage “—a reliance on the presence and power of God and a commitment to His commandments (Josh. 1:6–7, 9, 18; 23:6; 2 Chr. 19:11).” [3]

Throughout the gospels, Jesus demonstrated courage as He confronted common practices and ways of thinking. He demonstrated by His courageous actions that He was committed to God and His commands not to the opinions of the people. Rather, He challenged peoples thinking and behaviors that were out of line with the commandments of God.

As an example, the Pharisees and scribes would go out of their way to avoid associating with people who they considered lower then themselves. Jesus, however, made friends and hung out with tax collectors and sinners. He was not ashamed to be seen with them.

In says in Mark 2:15-16, “Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, 'How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

He also did not shrink back from confronting sin or oppression of the poor that were built into the culture as common practices. Jesus confronted the leaders for choosing following their rules over having compassion on people and demonstrating mercy.

In Mark 3:1-6 it says, “And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. And He said to the man who had the withered hand, 'Step forward.' Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?' But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand.' And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.”

And in Mark 7:9-13 Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother''; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Even in His death, Jesus demonstrated courage. Knowing the kind of death that He was about to face and having prayed at Gethsemane for His Father to take the cup from Him, He stood silent before Pilot when He was accused and refused to defend Himself.

Mark 15:3-5 says, “And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing. Then Pilate asked Him again, saying, 'Do You answer nothing? See how many things they testify against You!' But Jesus still answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.”

John the Baptist also demonstrated courage. He had told King Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” (Mark 6:18) As with Jesus, it eventually cost him his life. It goes on to say in Mark 6:19 that as a result, Herodias held this against John and waited, looking for an opportunity to have him killed.

There are also examples of lack of courage in the book of Mark. King Herod showed a lack of courage in beheading John in attempt to appease people. When Herodias' daughter asked for the head of John the Baptist, Mark 6:26-27 says, “And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought.”

Pilot was also someone who demonstrated a lack of courage and chose to appease people over doing the right thing. When Pilate questioned Jesus, he could find no wrong in Him. It says in Mark 15:10, “for he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.” Yet, because the people cried out “Crucify Him,” in Mark 15:15 it says, “So Pilate, wanting to gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus, after he had scourged Him, to be crucified.”

John Maxwell notes in my bible commentary about this, “When God calls His people to lead, when He calls us to make unpopular stands, we cannot “wash our hands” of the responsibility. Leaders will face moments when they have no choice but to stand up to the crowd and do what is right.” [4]

There are many examples throughout history of people creating tremendous change when they were willing to demonstrate courage. Harriet Tubman, a devout Christian, risked her life to help many fellow slaves to gain their freedom.

The Wikipedia notes about her that she brought relatives out of Maryland and dozens of other slaves to freedom. She traveled by night to free fugitive slaves. The Wikipedia goes on to note about her, “When the American Civil War began, Tubman worked for the Union Army, first as a cook and nurse, and then as an armed scout and spy. The first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war, she guided the Combahee River Raid, which liberated more than 700 slaves in South Carolina. After the war, she retired to the family home in Auburn, New York, where she cared for her aging parents. She became active in the women's suffrage movement in New York until illness overtook her.” [5]

Another woman who demonstrated courage and created change was Rosa Parks. Rosa was sitting in the black segregated section of the bus. When the bus filled, she was asked to give up her seat for a white man. She refused to move when she was asked by the bus driver because she had a long day of hard work and was tired of giving in. One article writes about her, “She would have given it up to a child or an elderly person but she didn’t want to live, worked, and comfort the whites so she didn’t get up when she was told to. She was later arrested and fined for violating a city ordinance, but her lonely act of defiance began a movement that ended legal segregation in America, and made her an inspiration to freedom-loving people everywhere.” [6]

An example of great courage that eventually cost him his life was Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a Baptist Pastor who became a civil rights activist and was eventually assented. King was the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for leading non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in the US. [7]

One of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s most known public speech was “I have a dream,” where he painted a picture of racial equality and called for an end to discrimination. The Wikipedia notes, “The speech, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, was a defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.” [8]

At different times, all of us are called to demonstrate courage. David cries out in Psalm 31:24, (Amp), “Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for and hope for and expect the Lord!”

However, as Brene Brown mentions in her book, “The Gifts of Imperfection,” courage does not always need to be demonstrated by heroic feats. She writes, “The root of the word courage is cor – the Latin word for heart. In one of its earliest forms, the word courage had a very different definition than it does today. Courage originally meant 'To speak one's mind by telling all one's heart.' Over time, this definition has changed, and, today, courage is more synonymous with being heroic.” [9]

She goes on to write, “Heroics is important and we certainly need heroes, but I think we've lost touch with the idea that speaking honestly and openly about who we are, about what we're feeling, and about our experiences (good or bad) is the definition of courage. Heroics is often about putting our life on the line. Ordinary courage is about putting our vulnerability on the line. In today's world, that's pretty extraordinary.” [10]

Speaking one's heart and mind when we see someone else being oppressed or experiencing injustice can have powerful impacts on others. Rosa Parks was not a public speaker or activist. She merely refused to accommodate an injustice that was being done to her. In doing so, she was challenging the status quo.

Brene Brown writes that courage has a ripple effect on others. She writes, “Every time we choose courage, we make everyone around us a little better and the world a little braver. And our world could stand to be a little kinder and braver.”[11]

Too often we see the poverty, pain and oppression around us but we close our eyes to it. We are blinded by self concern and busyness. We fail to enter into the opportunities that are before us because we are content going along with the status quo, often experiencing the privileges /benefits ourselves without even realizing it.

Privilege, as noted by one author, “is not visible to its holder; it is merely there, a part of the world, a way of life, simply the way things are. Others have a lack, an absence, a deficiency.” [12] This author notes, “The invisibility of privilege strengthens the power it creates and maintains. The invisible cannot be combated, and as a result privilege is allowed to perpetuate, regenerate, and re-create itself... Privilege is invisible only until looked for, but silence in the face of privilege sustains its invisibility.”[13]

Silence about privilege sometimes happens because of fear or oppression. The author notes, “Whatever the reason, when there is silence, no criticism is expressed. What we do not say, what we do not talk about, allows the status quo to continue.” [14]

In the times of Jesus, nobody dared questions the Pharisees and scribes about their behaviors and choices. They made the rules and everybody followed along accordingly. While deep down, some (especially the poor and those oppressed by the rules) may have sensed that there was something wrong with the decisions, nobody had the courage to speak up and create change. The poor had no voice and the privileged were afraid of losing their position in the community. As one author notes, people who experience privilege have the option of opting out of the struggle against oppression. [15]

It often takes us being shaken off center and/or tasting being on the receiving end of oppression to come alive to the pain of injustice that some experience. Switchfoot, in their song , “Dare You to Move” (click to view) challenges us not to wait but to open our eyes to the world around us and the oppression and injustice that is going on, moving towards our opportunities to do something that makes a difference with courage.

Proverbs 31, 8-9 says, “Speak up for those who can't speak for themselves, for the rights of all who need an advocate. Speak up, judge righteously, defend the cause of the poor and needy."

Courage is not a gift or talent we are born with, rather, like other areas of our character, it is built into our character as we learn greater dependence upon the Lord and step out into it more and more.

Peter learned by his mistakes that He needed a dependence upon God in order to demonstrate true courage. Jesus had told Peter in Mark 14:30, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” Peter was sure of himself and vehemently told Jesus, “If I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” (Mark 14:31) Yet, then Peter found himself in a situation where he denied Jesus three times. After the rooster crowed twice and Peter realized his denials, he wept bitterly (Mark 14:72).

Later, when Peter was arrested and then forbidden to speak of Jesus by the Sanhedrin and threatened,he refused to give in. This time Peter depended on God's strength to maintain him rather than his own strength. To depend upon someone means to believe and trust in their character and word, acting accordingly- out of faith in them (not ourselves).

Peter and John responded, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak of the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). Peter and his companions then gathered and prayed for greater boldness to speak the word (Acts 4:29-30).

“So sink or swim, I'm diving in” is playing in the background.

Coming back to where I started, in order to demonstrate courage in acting against injustice, one first needs to have their eyes open to see injustice. Below are some guidelines for becoming aware of injustice based upon Paul Kevils guidelines for recognizing racism:

1.) Assume oppression and injustice happens everyday and everywhere. We do not need to go far to find people who lack access to a good education, who are in poverty, or are being treated unfairly because of their race, class, or gender. Paul Kevil writes, “Notice who speaks, what is said, how things are done and described. Notice who isn't present.” [16]

2.) Paul Kevil writes, “Notice who is the center of attention and who is the center of power.” [17] Is it the people with the most privilege that have the voice and position of power? How is this being used? What voice and leadership positions do those have who are underprivileged? Do we have an opportunity to support someone in leadership from an under-represented group, giving voice to those who are less privileged? [18]

3.) According to Paul Kevil, we need to understand and learn from history. [19] Areas of historic oppression and injustice need to be continually brought to the forefront and revisited. Issues such as racism and sex discrimination have been historically long standing issues that need to be continually challenged and moved forward.

Lord, forgive us where we have failed to challenge the status quo when it has caused harm or oppressed any groups of people. Forgive us wherever we may have failed to speak up, share our hearts, and make a difference. I have especially struggled with speaking up and sharing my heart, shrinking back from being vulnerable. Forgive me.

Open our eyes to see Lord where others may lack privilege or a voice. Open our hearts to speak up with courage. Would you teach us to have greater dependance upon You, and not rely on our own strength. Help us to speak from the heart with openness and vulnerability.

a. I believe this information came from a sermon of Sr. Pastor David Johnson, Church of The Open Door.

1. Strong, James: New Strong's Guide to Bible Words. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1996

2-3. Youngblood, Ronald F. ; Bruce, F. F. ; Harrison, R. K. ; Thomas Nelson Publishers: Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville : T. Nelson, 1995

4. Maxwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.

5. Wikipedia. Harriet Tubman. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Tubman Last Accessed: 5/17/11.

6. Who Ended Segregation. By Hasson in History. Located at: http://socyberty.com/history/who-ended-segregation/#ixzz1MTi2im3d Last Accessed: 5/17/11.

Also see: Rosa Park's Biography. Located at: http://www.biography.com/articles/Rosa-Parks-9433715?part=1 Last Accessed: 5/17/11

7-8. Wikipedia. Martin Luther King, Jr. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King_Jr. Last Accessed: 5/17/11

9-11. Brown, Bene, Ph.D., L.M.S.W., The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think Your're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are. Hazelden. Center City, MN. 2010.

12-15. Rothenberg, Paula S. White Privilege. “Making Systems of Privilege Visible.” Chapter by Stephanie M. Wildman with Adreinne D. Davis. Worth Publishers, NY, NY. 2008. Third Edition.

16-19. Rothenberg, Paula S. White Privilege. “How White People Can Serve as Allies to People of Color in the Struggle to End Racism.” Chapter by Paul Kivel. Worth Publishers, NY, NY. 2008. Third Edition.