Matthew 10:17-22

¹⁷ Be attentive of men, for they will send you to court and punish you in their synagogues,

¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, for the purpose of testifying before them and the Gentiles.

¹⁹ When they take you to court, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will betray their parents and have them put to death,

²² and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved.

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workers need to be aware of what might happen

There is a difference between fearing someone, and being aware of what they might do. Jesus wants his workers to know what they have gotten themselves into. He wants them to know that although some will accept their testimony about him, others will oppose it, even violently so. It is possible that anyone going out to proclaim Christ might be going to his death.

What a pep talk! But Jesus was not going to sugar-coat this. Even though he knew that the Galilean mission would be successful, he wanted them to know that there is always a possibility of betrayal, rejection and violent death when his missionaries go out to proclaim the word of life. Too much is at stake for the Adversary to allow our mission to succeed without retaliation.

And these are mostly Galileans – all except Judas! These men would be in danger from their own countrymen. Imagine then, what we should expect if we dare to tell foreigners of God’s word.

LORD, forgive our complacency and blindness. Open our eyes to the warfare that is going on, every time we share your word. May we always be bathed in prayer. May we trust your Holy Spirit to give us the words to say, and may we say those words in confidence, even if those words cause us to be hated by everyone.

Most of all, give us courage to persevere through any trial or opposition we may encounter. May our testimonies be clear, and your word understood.