PERSECUTION and PERSEVERANCE
The long missionary discourse of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel is divided into three parts. The first part contains His instructions to the disciples; the second part discusses the sufferings they would encounter in the missions; and the third part describes loose sayings that have been borrowed from the eschatological discourse of Mark.
Today we focus on the inevitable sufferings of a follower of Jesus. He Himself was persecuted and so will those who seek to imitate Him. Anyone who follows the Lord will be in for an ordeal. Family members, associates and friends will fail to understand the motives behind those who follow the Lord. As Christians, we have to trust in the Lord to give us the aid of defense. The Spirit will give us strength and words of wisdom to combat our difficulties. For the early Christians, it was an awesome task to stand before governments and religious authorities to speak and proclaim Christ. The Gospel describes events of terror, arrest and great danger. Jesus encourages them that He will be with them at their side.
Life is a battle. Many will misunderstand us. Many, perhaps, already question our faith; our time spent in Church; our time attending prayer meetings and seminars. We need to pray for prudence and knowledge on how to tackle these situations. But Jesus says the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.
In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Do not lead us into temptation (or test).” The temptation or test referred to here is the test of faith and the temptation to give up. There will be many people and situations “tempting” us to give up or to quit the fight. Sometimes we will fail and fall into weakness but we must continue the fight and stand firm in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Find a parish or prayer group or community to support you in your walk with the Lord and nourish you in your Christian faith. Seek Christian friends who will journey with you. Do not worry, do not be afraid, and do not be disappointed — the Lord is with you. Fr. Brian Steele, MGL
REFLECTION QUESTION: Do you experience persecution in your life, and in what ways? Ask the Lord for guidance and fortitude. Find a community where you can take refuge and be supported in your Christian faith.
Lord, give me again the joy of Your help; with a spirit of fervor, sustain me.
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