|
These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, … “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. … If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:5a, 21-24, 25b-31)
It seems odd to me that Jesus sent the twelve disciples out to preach and heal with these scary words we’ve just heard. They sound much more suitable for the end of the world, don’t they? But this isn’t the end of the world yet—it’s only the first preaching tour for the twelve, and as far as we know, it was successful! So why is Jesus saying all this scary stuff to them now?
I wonder if maybe Jesus did this because He knew that at that moment they were nervous and afraid, and also that later on they would return, overjoyed at how well everything went. And He wanted them to understand that, in a lifetime of service to Jesus, there would be both extremes: great trouble and grief, even to the point of persecution; and also great joy and happiness, as they saw God working through them to bring people to faith and grow His kingdom.
And the answer to both extremes is the same: to keep our eyes on Jesus, trusting Him to see us through whatever comes to us—whether it’s joy and success, or whether it’s trouble, persecution, and what looks like failure. Because our job is to be faithful and to let God work through us. It is God who takes responsibility for the outcomes.
After all, we’re not that good at telling the difference between a good outcome and a poor one, are we? Who would have looked at Jesus’ suffering and death on that cross, and have seen that as His victory? And yet it was—and when He rose from the dead three days later, Jesus became the Source of our life, forgiveness, and joy.
WE PRAY: Lord, whether I’m happy or discouraged in the work You have set for me to do, keep my eyes and heart on You. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Reflection Questions:
- How do you serve the Lord in your own life—what work has He given you to do?
- How do you feel right now about the way that work is going?
- How do you find hope and comfort in Jesus when you need it most?
|
