do not worry about what you are to say and how you are to say it; when the hour comes, you will be given what you are to say. For it is not you
who will speak; but it will be the Spirit of your Father in you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and a father his child; children will turn
against parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but whoever stands firm to the end will be saved.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next. For sure, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before
the Son of Man comes.
Reflection:
Jesus speaks of the future that His disciples would face once He goes back to the
Father. He does not assure the disciples of an easy life but one full of hardships
and trials. The persecution will start with those nearest them. Their closest family will
even oppose them. This makes following Jesus a lot harder. For sometimes, you have to
choose between the love of family and faithfulness to the Lord. But in all of this, His
disciples will not be decimated by the hatred of the world. Help will come when
needed. The last sentence in the life of a disciple is not loneliness, despair or death
but salvation. This is what we must ponder in our spiritual life. The last sentence of God is
always hope, not punishment or condemnation. And so, if someone pretends to be sent
by God and coerces us with threats of condemnation and punishment. He or she is
out of sync with God’s plan. We have to think twice before giving them our trust and
confidence.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2021