Expect persecution but do not live in fear
Brothers and Sisters,
In last week’s Gospel reading Jesus called his Apostles and sent them out on a mission. This week Jesus goes further! Not only does he expand the scope of their mission, but he tells them that they will be persecuted. This passage is actually quite daunting if you read it on face value. Persecution seems to be the order of the day, all because of their association with Jesus. If we reflect on this a little bit we will find that persecution was happening to them at the time, it happened even more after Jesus left them and it continues to happen to us today. If we reflect deeper into this passage and absorb what Jesus is saying we find that there is one explicit point that he makes: expect persecution, but do not live in fear.
Jesus speaks of four different areas in which persecution will come from. The first being: persecution from Religion (10:17). This is quite evident when we listen to the news and see how Christians are persecuted in certain countries because of their faith. The second is persecution from Government (10:18). In the past this has been in the form of Socialism and Communism and the like, however today this is taking another face; persecution by Government against our values, ideals and truths. This is especially witnessed in light of the changes to marriage which have been implemented or a being considered in certain places. The third is persecution from Family (10:21-22). This is probably the most difficult form of persecution. Sadly, some people are ostracized from their family because of Christ. Even within our own families, we find many disputes that relate to our values and beliefs. The fourth is persecution from Society (10:22). Here Jesus is referring to society as a whole and unfortunately sometimes even Christians. Our Christian beliefs and values are being questioned and persecuted by the media and by many groups.
In the face of all this persecution, our Lord teaches us not to fear and proclaims that “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Of course at times this is very difficult. So how do we live like “sheep in the midst of wolves?” Simply, we do this by living our Christian values. We need to be Christ-like in everything that we do and everything that we say. We should not repay hate with hate or anger with anger or persecution with persecution. We should live our faith in light of the Gospel and the teaching of our Church. It is through this example that they will know that we are Christians and it is this example that will save us. This does not mean that we stand idle and do nothing in the face of persecution. Remember, I said that we need to be Christ-like and Jesus certainly was not idle in the face of persecution. Our voice needs to be heard, yet we must be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Living what we preach and believe is the key!
