Laying Low is Lame

“As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed [them] to prison. Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.” (Ac 8:3-4 AV)

Does the term ‘lay low’ mean anything?  The first use of the word dates back to the early 1700s.  It means what one would think.  At the invention of the modern firearm, lying low meant one did not become an easy target for another to shoot at.  Some attribute it to standing against the sun.  Silhouetted against the sun, the victim would be prey to an accomplished marksman.  Therefore, being aware of pending danger, one would lay low to avoid being shot.  You would do anything to avoid drawing attention to oneself.  When I think of the disciples fleeing Jerusalem, they did not lay low.  Instead, to where they went, they preached Jesus.  That would draw attention.  This attention would invite more threats from those who hated Christ.  The proper response to persecution is not to lay low.  It is to seek safer opportunities to continue sharing the gospel.  Fleeing was not retreating.  Fleeing was looking for new opportunities with less resistance.

Paul speaks of doors.  “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and [there are] many adversaries.” (1Co 16:9 AV) “Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:” (Col 4:3 AV)  But Paul also spake of doors being closed.  “But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.” (Ac 19:9 AV)  Paul was keenly aware that ministry is partly determined by the response to it.  He did not stay in one place regardless of his effectiveness.  He knew that there came a point that attempts at new ministry would be fruitless.  What Paul didn’t do was to flee to a safe space and lay low.  He didn’t cease to do what God called him to do.  He kept preaching until resistance became more of an influence than his ministry.  It was time to move on.

Our inclination is that when we experience pain, we do what it takes to avoid experiencing it again.  If we burn our hand while reaching for a hot plate, we are apt to wear gloves every time thereafter.  If we get sick on a plate full of duck (we will save that for another time) we never order it again.  If we are bullied at school, we avoid bumping into the bully no matter how inconvenient.  Most of us would flee to another city and never mention Christ again.  The last time it cost us our homes.  It cost us our families.  The cost to share Christ was great.  Therefore, fleeing to a new city means starting over and never making the same mistake again.  Not so with the believer who loves Jesus.  He is not fleeing out of fear.  He is fleeing because of opportunity.  As the door closes in one place, it is time to look for another.  They may have scattered because of Paul’s persecution.  But if they ran out of fear, they would have remained quiet once they arrived.  Rather, the proper response to persecution is publication, not silence!