and for my sake you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity
to bear witness. So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to say, for I will
give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or
contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and
some of you will be put to death. But even though, because of my name, you will be hated by
everyone, not a hair of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will save
your souls.

Reflect

“Bear witness to Jesus.” Deception often results to betrayal. Betrayal brings enormous
sufferings . Betrayal could easily be committed when one is put under persecution.
Jesus’ true witnesses are those who are able to stand a severe persecution without
giving in to the temptation of being an accomplice to persecution. As Christians,
we are called to bear witness to Jesus and to the gospel values. At times, persecutions
can be experienced without pains. There are times when persecutions are experienced
in a manner that is akin to sugarcoating. We may reflect on the point that today’s
consumerism is a sugarcoated form of persecution. In the first place, giving in to the
temptation of a consumeristic lifestyle runs contrary to the gospel values of simplicity and
self-sacrifice. With the lack of awareness of the adverse effects of our consumeristic
lifestyle, adding gravely to the ever-worsening condition of climate crisis, we are betraying
Jesus and the gospel values. Who suffer when we continue with our lavish and
environmentally destructive way of life? Both the natural world and the people suffer.
This is clearly a betrayal of the kind of life Jesus proclaimed. Nonetheless, it is not yet too
late to change and bear witness to a simple lifestyle.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2024