Luke 21:5-19
Honestly, I don’t know much about persecution. I mean, sure, I hear about it. I know persecution exists. I’ve even met a few people who have faced some very real, very harsh , persecution. But, I don’t know much about persecution. I’ve never faced much real persecution in my life. However, while I haven’t ever experienced persecution personally, that doesn’t mean that I just get to ignore that injustice. In Luke 21:5-19, Jesus gives a rather clear teaching on persecution. He tells his followers that regardless of what happens in their life, if they consider themselves to be disciples of Jesus, then they will face persecution. Jesus was actually talking about things that would take place in their lifetime, but there are a lot of parallels and lessons that we can learn from his instructions. Even though you and I may not experience much persecution on a daily basis, doesn’t give us an excuse to ignore it. Not only should we be praying and engaging in the lives of our fellow Christians who are being persecuted, but we should also be mindful of the fact that we may well someday be in their shoes. It’s very possible that we will end up being the ones facing the persecution. Not only that, but Jesus tells his followers that he will be with them when they are being persecuted. It seems to me that one of the ways that he will support his people going through trials is to surround them with other Christians who can love and support them when they need it the most. What a beautiful responsibility for us to step into the lives of those around us.
What can you do to be more aware of the persecution happening in the world around us?
Once we become more aware of the persecution that is happening, what are some steps we can take to be an encouragement to people facing hardship?
(By Cody Poinsett)