Jesus said to the crowd:
“They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”
Malcolm Fraser famously said “Life is not meant to be easy”. This reading carries the same message. Don’t think choosing God is the easy choice. It will be painful, disappointing and lonely. What this says to me is that God being with you and protecting you, does not mean protecting you from pain and disappointment. Indeed, our prayer should be “Walk with me and give me the strength to transform myself and deal with the encounters you place before me”. The promise of this reading is that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps that is what faith is.
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ReplyDeleteI think your response is well-written and insightful. It captures the essence of the passage and provides a personal reflection on its meaning. I particularly appreciate your point about God's presence not being a guarantee of an easy life. Instead, as you say, it is about having the strength to persevere through the challenges that life throws our way.
I also agree with your assessment of faith. It is not about avoiding pain and suffering, but rather about finding the strength to face them head-on. It is about believing that, even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for something better.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this passage. It has been a pleasure to read them.