“As for yourselves, beware, for they will hand you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them. And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations. 

“When they bring you to trial and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you at that time, for it is not you who speak but the Holy Spirit. 

“Sibling will betray sibling 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.

“But when you see the desolating sacrilege set up where it ought not to be (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; the one on the housetop must not go down or enter to take anything from the house; the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that it may not be in winter. 

“For in those days there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the creation that God created until now and never will be. And if the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would be saved, but for the sake of the elect, whom he chose, he has cut short those days. 

“And if anyone says to you at that time, ‘Look! Here is the Messiah!’ or ‘Look! There he is!’—do not believe it. False messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be alert; I have already told you everything. (New Revised Standard Version)

The genuineness and strength of one’s faith is demonstrated through the testing of it. A believer’s faith must and will be tried. How will that faith hold up when the world is angry and pours out its hate against them?

The follower of Jesus will undergo afflictions and be oppressed by others. They will suffer.

Since that is true, the Christian must ensure that whatever suffering they endure is not because they have been obnoxious and unhelpful to people in this world; but that they are suffering because of their commitment to the words and ways of Jesus, because of their humility, gentleness, righteousness, purity, mercy, and peace.

Christians are meant to bear the cross, so that they may be conformed to the image of their Lord Jesus. There will be times when believers are the brunt of ungodly rage and fury, gossip and slander, opposition and injustice.

Jesus was warning his disciples that they needed to be prepared for endurance, to persevere over the long haul for their faith in him. Otherwise, they might be overwhelmed by temptation.

Christ followers are to remain steady in their purpose of living into the words of Jesus, and living out his ways in a world that prizes the opposite of Christian values.

The godly person values humility. The ungodly persons values pride.

The godly grieve and mourn over injustice in the world. The ungodly celebrate getting ahead by any means possible in this world.

The godly are meek. The ungodly are mean.

The godly seek right relationships with God and others. The ungodly leverage relationships to get what they want.

The godly prize mercy. The ungodly champion being merciless.

The godly are pure in heart. The ungodly have spiders in their heart, and garlic in their soul.

The godly engage in peacemaking. The ungodly engage in warmongering.

The godly end are persecuted for embracing the virtues of Jesus. The ungodly are the persecutors of good people.

The godly will be comforted, inherit the earth, receive mercy, see God, and belong to the kingdom of heaven. The ungodly will be judged, inherit the wind, receive condemnation, see nothing, and belong to the kingdom of darkness.

The Lord wants us relieved of anxiety, and cheerfully living life with our burdens laid upon Jesus, for he gently and ably carries them. We can cast all our cares on him, because he cares for us. (Matthew 11:28-30; 1 Peter 5:7)

Whenever we are in the position of being afflicted by others, wisdom shall be granted to the godly who follow in the way of Christ.

The grace of God exists for those who seek to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. But there is nothing for the proud and arrogant, who believe they themselves are sufficient – because they refuse to receive any gift of God being offered to them.

All sorts of false prophets come along to try and deceive the godly into listening and following them. They make empty promises and blame others for unwanted situations. Know that whatever they say about others, is actually true of themselves.

So, when they accuse another of lying, cheating, stealing, murdering, etc. you can be sure that this is precisely what they themselves do to get ahead and get what they want in this life. Therefore, don’t be tempted by any rhetoric which demeans others.

Love of God and humanity is to be kindled hot, and not cooled through ingratitude and treachery. For whenever courage is weakened, a flood of violent speech and behavior follows.

We must strive against anything which harms the whole of humanity, and puts God at a distance. Instead, good news needs to be proclaimed.

The end will eventually come. Yet, we need not wander around in darkness, as if we don’t know what to do or where to go. We will indeed go through testing and many trials to our faith.

The desolating sacrilege, the abomination of desolation, will appear – which will be the sign that the time is short. An abomination, or desolation, means to profane something, to make it unclean or impure, to treat a holy thing as if it were simply not significant nor important.

In other words, whenever and wherever corruption is rife, and people (and God) are treated as disposable, then you know destruction is at hand. Thus, you must flee, because there is danger.

In such a situation, the rule of law will not help you. Services which were once helpful will be abolished and thrown away like garbage. And it could all happen rather quickly. So, don’t run back and try to save pieces of that previous life and existence; it isn’t worth it. You life is on the line.

Malicious motives and meanness of heart have no intention for the common good of all persons on this earth. A few people want what they want, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process.

None of this awful behavior will go on forever. God’s judgment can and will deal with it. Yet, no one knows the time or date when that judgment will be rendered. For the sake of the godly, those days will be shortened.

Jesus was not attempting scare his disciples, but to exhort and arouse them to beware of the ungodly; and to keep watch, so that they would not fall into temptation and have their faith weakened.

As believers, we may experience troubles, but we need not be troubled.

The Good Shepherd of the sheep, Jesus Christ, is watching over us so that we don’t need to become distressed and discouraged.

My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, in regard to what he has given me, is greater than all, and no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand.  (John 10:27-29, NRSV)

The permanence of our deliverance from guilt, shame, sin, death, and hell does not depend on any of us. It is relies firmly upon the grace of God in Christ. And none who have been given to God shall perish. (John 17:12)

Be encouraged. But also be ready.

Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love’s sake. Amen.