"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. "A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household! So do not be afraid of them."
Jesus continues with warnings as He sends out His disciples to do ministry. It is a reality that as we pour ourselves into the lives of others and minister in the love of Father, it will make some people uncomfortable, and it will make some people down right angry. "Men will hate you because of Me.... When you are persecuted.... If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of His household?" Jesus is saying that persecution is inevitable; if He was called a chief of demons, and if He was tortured and executed, it is inevitable that those who follow Him will also me maligned and mistreated.
The balance to this is found in the promise of Romans 8:28 where we are told that God is working in every circumstance for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. But, how are these two realities reconciled? How is God working for our good when we remain in turmoil and hardship and even persecution?
Sometimes our idea of good is a little different than God's idea of good. Our idea of good generally means that everything returns to a life of ease and comfort. If I have a day in which conflict is resolved in my favor and I am financially secure and my reputation has been salvaged and I can sit in my easy chair at the end of the day feeling happy and in control, it seems to me like I had a good day. On the other hand, God's idea of a good day is any day I end up more like Jesus -any day I trusted Him more, any day I learned to hear Him a little better, any day I loved others in His name, any day I took another step further into the Kingdom and came out resembling Jesus just a little more -that was a good day.
And here is the bottom line truth: I rarely become more like Jesus when life is easy and I am comfortable. Yes, God is working for our good even in the midst of hardship and persecution. He is with us in the hardship and the pain, transforming us into the likeness of Christ. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. That is a good day.
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