2 Maccabbees -- Persecution

WARNING: Today's reading is pretty graphic...
Read 2 Maccabbees 5, 6, and 7

Today's Devotion -- 2 Mac 6:18-28
18Eleazar, one of the foremost scribes, a man of advanced age and noble appearance, was being forced to open his mouth to eat pork. 19 But preferring a glorious death to a life of defilement, he spat out the meat, and went forward of his own accord to the instrument of torture, 20as men ought to do who have the courage to reject the food which it is unlawful to taste even for love of life.

21Those in charge of that unlawful ritual meal took the man aside privately, because of their long acquaintance with him, and urged him to bring meat of his own providing, such as he could legitimately eat, and to pretend to be eating some of the meat of the sacrifice prescribed by the king; 22in this way he would escape the death penalty, and be treated kindly because of their old friendship with him.

23But he made up his mind in a noble manner, worthy of his years, the dignity of his advanced age, the merited distinction of his gray hair, and of the admirable life he had lived from childhood; and so he declared that above all he would be loyal to the holy laws given by God. He told them to send him at once to the abode of the dead, explaining: 24"At our age it would be unbecoming to make such a pretense; many young men would think the ninety-year-old Eleazar had gone over to an alien religion. 25Should I thus dissimulate for the sake of a brief moment of life, they would be led astray by me, while I would bring shame and dishonor on my old age. 26Even if, for the time being, I avoid the punishment of men, I shall never, whether alive or dead, escape the hands of the Almighty.

27Therefore, by manfully giving up my life now, I will prove myself worthy of my old age, 28and I will leave to the young a noble example of how to die willingly and generously for the revered and holy laws." He spoke thus, and went immediately to the instrument of torture. (NAB)
taken from http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible

It is so easy to forget that there are thousands of Christians around the world who are persecuted in painful ways, often killed, for their faith. Voice of the Martyrs (at http://persecution.com) tells of current day persecution:
A Saudi member of the religious police cut his daughter’s tongue off and burned her to death for converting to Christianity.
Hindu militants have launched attacks on Christians throughout the state, setting buildings on fire and beating and killing believers in at least 12 districts.
On August 5, Eritrean authorities locked eight high school students in metal a shipping container and burned hundreds of Bibles at Sawa Defense Training Centre. According to Compass Direct News, the students were imprisoned in the container after they objected to authorities confiscating and burning 1,500 Bibles taken from new students who arrived at the training center for the new 2008-2009 school year.
In America we wonder why God allows us to lose jobs, get sick, or die before we think it's time. In other countries, people are praising God because he gives them strength to stand strong while unthinkable things happen simply because they are believers.

Please don't forget to pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.