When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”
They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8 And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray, for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them.
“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.
-Luke 21:5-19 NRSV
Everyone Will Hate You.
“If you’ve read this far, then you are one of the very few Tin Leg customers to review all of their policy documentation," read the text, revealing a secret contest inviting Andrews to claim a $10,000 reward. At first the Georgia school teacher thought this was a joke. But she contacted the insurance company anyways just to make sure. It was real. They were so sure people wouldn’t read the fine print they put the text in as a test.
Do we ever think of the fine print, of what it means to be a disciple?
As we sit and wait for the world to be put to rights, as NT Wright would say, is this the kind of waiting we want to do?
This is not a verse we needlepoint on pillows. This is unlikely anyone’s life verse. Forward Movement is not going to publish a pamphlet on this. When evangelizing, this is kept in the fine print.
There is a scene in one of the gospels where some disciples come to Jesus and complain because his teaching is too difficult, and so they walk away. Jesus turns to the remaining disciples and asks “Are you going to leave me too?” They respond with amazing trust for there is nowhere else to turn. They recognize Jesus, and Jesus alone, is the source of Life. But it comes at a cost. Jesus’ cost on the cross, and our daily cost when we make small and big decisions to follow Jesus, for there is nowhere else to go.
The Rev. Everett Lees, Dmin
Vicar
Christ Church, Tulsa