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The DEEP

Martyrdom or Boredom?

We must all hang together.

John 15:12–13

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”

This is the challenge that launched the Church. It’s a clear call to martyrdom.

That implication should be obvious to Jesus’s disciples, given how many times He has talked about dying. But after the cross, there’s no escaping the calling to lay down one’s life for his friends. Given the many warnings Jesus gave them about coming trials, this adds a chilling element.

The disciples took this chilling command to heart—and obeyed it. That’s how they “turned the world upside down.” — Acts 17:6b

But notice one other twist. We often think of Christian sacrifice as being for all people, especially for widows and orphans. That’s true, but that’s not the command in this passage. This is a call to sacrifice for each other—for other Christians.

There’s a curious analogy from the animal kingdom. A tiger will defeat a lion one-on-one. Tigers are bigger. But five lions will defeat five tigers because lions work together, and tigers don’t. The lions will attack one tiger at a time.

The disciples must hang together like a band of brothers or, to paraphrase Ben Franklin, they will all hang separately. However, unlike the American Revolution, most of them were destined to be martyred anyway.

In the kingdom of heaven, that’s winning.


This commandment still stands. We are called to do the same level of commitment. Martyrdom may not be likely but major commitment is still possible.

Specifically, this is a call to a high level of commitment within the body. That comes first.

Christians tend to get so passionate about evangelism, charity, and other outreach ministries that we let the needs inside the church languish.

This is curious because it can be almost the perfect opposite of martyrdom. The challenge with many church tasks is that they’re boring.

What a curious way to make sacrifices for the Lord—to do things that aren’t hard and aren’t dangerous. They aren’t even that much of a sacrifice. It’s just that they get you no praise. No one will notice, much less be impressed.

But make no mistake, these things are important to the kingdom—and to its king.


These Monday—Friday DEEPs are written by Mike Slay. The Saturday DEEPs are written by Matt Richardson. To subscribe to all the DEEPs click here:

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The weekly study guides, which include the Monday–Friday devotionals plus related questions for discussion or meditation, are available for download here:

https://www.ailbe.org/resources/itemlist/category/91-deep-studies

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV stands for the English Standard Version. © Copyright 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NIV stands for The Holy Bible, New International Version®. © Copyright 1973 by International Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved. KJV stands for the King James Version.

Mike Slay

As a mathematician, inventor, and ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, Mike Slay brings an analytical, conversational, and even whimsical approach to the daily study of God's Word.

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