When Opposition Comes (2 Kin. 2:23-25)

The key word is "when."  It is not a matter of whether you will face opposition.   It is a matter of when you will face it.  Recall what Jesus said in Matthew 5:11-12. 
 
^{MT 5:11} "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.
^{MT 5:12}
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Today's passage is about a man named Elisha.  He is about to encounter a mob.  Will he cower in fear and dial 911?  Will he respond in rage and display his mastery of martial arts?  Will he keep walking, turn up his iPod and just stare at the ground?

^{2KI 2:23}Then he went up from there to Bethel; and as he was going up by the way, young lads came out from the city and mocked him and said to him, "Go up, you baldhead; go up, you baldhead!"
^{2KI 2:24}
When he looked behind him and saw them, he cursed them in the name of the LORD. Then two female bears came out of the woods and tore up forty-two lads of their number.
^{2KI 2:25}
He went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

When opposition comes, it does not mean you did something wrong.  Look what happened before oppposition came.  Elisha had purified the water at Jericho.  That's a good thing, right?  Sometimes opposition comes because you did something right. The goal of the opposition is to divert your focus from God to self.

When opposition comes, it does not mean you deserve it.  What was Elisha doing when opposition came?  He was walking on the Jericho-Bethel Road, minding his own business.  That seems harmless enough, right?  Opposition is a bully that seeks to intimidate, dominate and frustrate.  You don't have to look for opposition. Opposition will look for you.  Ron, isn't that cynical?  If you never have opposition, it is because you're doing nothing worthy of opposition.

When opposition comes, it does not mean you have to defend yourself.  What was the purpose of the young men's assault?  They attacked Elisha's calling and his character.  Expect your opponents to oppose you.  They will attack what you hold dearest and they will attack viciously.  Let God be your Defender.  Notice that Elisha didn't argue with the young men.  God's name was more important than Elisha's reputation.

When opposition comes, it does not mean you should change course.  What was Elisha doing before the opposition came?  He was on his way to Bethel. Did Elisha make it to Bethel?  Yes. He did not get sidetracked by the opposition.  It isn't about whether the opposition has any merit.  It's about whether they can detour you from God's will.  Stay focused on the opportunity, not the opposition.

When opposition comes, act like Elisha – stay focused on what God's called you to do and let Him deal with critical opponents.  Elisha reminds us of Jesus (Isa. 53:7).