Matthew 10:16-23
“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
Had I been Jesus – always a dangerous idea to play with! – I might have been tempted to start here. You see, I’ve been trained to count the cost, to be realistic about the challenges ahead, to start with worst case scenarios. And, truth be told, in a few chapters Jesus will tell the disciples to count the cost and, indeed, to take up their cross. But Jesus begins first by sharing his authority and commissioning them to live by faith and trust.
Perhaps that’s because he knows they need to be rooted in their identity if they are to endure the challenges ahead. Or perhaps it’s simply that in this passage he goes more deeply into the trials that await them. Because it won’t just be that some towns don’t receive them. They will actually face direct and at times violent opposition.
But there’s more than just warning here. There’s also promise. Jesus tells them not to worry about what they are to say because the Holy Spirit will provide them what they need. They will know what to say. They will persevere. They will endure. They will be saved.
Again it’s helpful to keep in mind that Matthew writes not only with the historical timeline of Jesus and his disciples in mind, but also with the intent of giving assurance to his own community of believers, people caught up amid the trials and challenges of being faithful when the world encouraged them to flee. Who knows how many of Matthew’s congregation lost family or friends and suffered in a myriad of ways to keep faith with their Lord.
Perhaps the question, then, becomes what these words might mean for us. There are some Christians today who suffer in this way. But most of us will not. Perhaps, then, we can receive these words not just as words of warning and promise but also as an invitation to pray for all those who suffer for their faith, asking that the Spirit intercede for them as well.
Prayer: Dear God, strengthen the reserve and encourage the hearts of all who confess your name, and especially those who do so under duress. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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