Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.
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 say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake.
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 say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.
-Matthew 10:16-25
Jesus was setting expectations regarding the need for endurance, for His disciples’ sake, which, in the end was a blessing for them, as it is for us even today.
There’s a misconception about discipleship peddled by delusional Christians, who often start out with good, yet misguided, intentions (humanistic ones). For example, people love to repeat Jesus’ words to those who were suffering under the burden of Jewish self-righteousness.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
-Matthew 11:28-30
What a beautiful passage; however, it has context that mustn’t be ignored (His audience was under the burden of Jewish religion). While it was appropriate for Jesus’ audience at that time, it certainly wasn’t the only thing He said about being His disciple. He repeatedly warned His disciples that they’d suffer for His name’s sake.
Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.
-John 15:20
This blog isn’t about the failures of contemporary Christianity. The point I’m making is that many Christians are shocked to find out that suffering is absolutely, positively an integral aspect of being a believer. While there is a certain peace and rest we enjoy in Christ (ala Matthew 11:28-30), we shouldn’t avoid accepting what it means to be a disciple of Jesus (I wrote a blog on this worth reading, titled, Emotional Salvation Isn’t Enough).
Our expectations ought to include the fact that our Father in Heaven fully intends on building discipline, forged through endurance, in His children.
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
-Hebrews 12:7
The Bible is full of encouragement to endure. Why is there so much encouragement if suffering isn’t a part of God’s plan for us? Why doesn’t the Word just tell us to throw a party every Sunday morning, sing as loud as we can with tears running down our faces as we’re overcome with rock music, and listen to lopsided preachers who feed off human emotions? Why? Because that’s not reality.
Reality is that we believers live in a world that hates us. The good news is that God is gracious and provides all the necessary strength to endure. We must accept our lot and press on. When times get tough, we turn to Him.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
-Ephesians 6:13
The Bible says that the righteous person shall live by faith (Romans 1:17).
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
-Romans 5:1-5
Trusting in Him is what we signed up for when we first believed. We mustn’t let go of our confidence that He will deliver us from whatever woes we suffer.
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
-Hebrews 10:35-39
Once our expectations are appropriately set (ala Matthew 10:16-25), or shall I say “reset”, we then have a new perspective, a different one than the doe-eyed version we may have ignorantly clung to. The truth is that we aren’t losing anything but our delusion – remember this! Don’t be fooled into thinking that ‘ignorance is bliss’ – it isn’t. Don’t be lulled into promises of peace that are void of the whole of Jesus’ words to His sheep (Romans 10:17).
The more our perspective is like Jesus’, the stronger we become, the more able we are to endure. We even form a closer-knit family.
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.
-Galatians 6:9-10
Jesus, of course, is our greatest example of endurance (He exercised it with “joy” all the way to the Cross – Hebrews 12:2); however, we see this same brand of endurance in His disciples throughout human history. Let us be encouraged! It’s an honor to endure, to His glory.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
- Hebrews 12:1-3
With the right perspective, we begin seeing life through a lens of gratitude. We don’t need pumped up music or emotionalism to remain inspired, and we definitely don’t want to be lied to. The simple fact that God loved us enough to save us is all we need. It’s true, with this salvation comes antagonism from the world, but what should we expect? ‘What do we want?’ may be the better question to ask ourselves (e.g., Do we want our cake and eat it, too? Do we want to party with the unbelievers during the week and celebrate God on Sundays? What kind of split personality madness is that?).
Endurance is beautiful to the one who possesses it. There’s freedom in it. As Jesus said, it’s truth that sets us free (John 8:32). Instead of skirting suffering, embrace it. Instead of being disappointed, be encouraged – God disciplines the ones He loves…remember???
Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer's; he makes me tread on my high places.
-Habakkuk 3:17-19
Love in Christ,
Ed Collins
