Mark 13:12-13
Some
of the most difficult injuries to work through are those that come from our
family. When a family member hurts us, it can be very difficult to heal. The
closer the relationship, mother, father, sister, brother, the more pain that it
often causes. That is because we are supposed to be safe at home. Family is
there to meet that important safety need.
God
provided the family as a means to provide a safe place in the world. We are
supposed to be able to ‘go home’ when things get tough and know that our family
will be there to catch us. When the world out there gets too challenging, too
scary, too intimidating, too hostile, we should be able to retreat to our
family and find support.
So
when abuse, neglect, incest, or violent assault happens in the home, where are
we supposed to turn for safety and support? When the one place that is supposed
to be safe isn’t, what are we to do? Where are we to go? How are we to find
refreshing?
Jesus
tells His disciples about what things will be like before Jerusalem is
destroyed. He also tells us what it will be like before His promised return. He
told us there would be wars and rumors of wars, that we would go on trial for
our faith, and now He tells us that our families will turn us over to the
authorities. Ouch! No one will be safe. Parents turning in children. Children
turning in parents. Siblings turning on siblings. And the cost is high. Death
results.
But
not just family will turn us in. Because of Jesus, we will become bounty for
everyone. Everyone will be looking for Jesus-followers. We will be singled out
as the object of hate. The ‘tolerance’ of those in the politically correct
crowd will show its true colors. ‘Tolerance’ is only a way to control speech,
to silence the opposition. Tolerance as it is used today is ideologically
sanctioned and empowered bigotry.
Notice
carefully that this hatred is because of Jesus in us. I am afraid that many who
claim Jesus don’t have enough Jesus in them, to warrant this hatred. The thin veneer
of religion that many people wear will be cast off as soon as the least trouble
arrives. They will step across the line and pick up the darts of accusation and
derision. They will be some of the most vocal opponents, trying to convince
everyone that they aren’t part of that
group of people. Remember Peter’s reaction as he betrayed Jesus three times.
And
we could all fall victim to our own weakness when facing torture and death.
That is why Jesus gave the promise of this verse. If we stand firm to the end,
we will be saved. We must persevere. We can’t quit in the middle of the race.
We must finish. Faithful to the end.
This
won’t be a popular stance. We will be part of the few, the proud, the Marines… Oops,
I dropped into commercial mode. The many will be against us. They will throw
every accusation against us, but nothing will stick. We must stand. We must
stand firm. We must stand firm to the end. And by God’s strength given to us by
the Holy Spirit in that moment, we will.