In Temple destruction and community division, Jesus paints a frightening picture with the reminder to not fear it.
I confess that this is in the bottom third of texts I like to preach on. And the reason is two-fold:
- People have no idea what to do with what Jesus is saying.
- It sounds truly bleak.
For those of us trained to look for the grace in the text, we’re left trying to make “persist in being persecuted” into some kind of good news? 🤷🏻♂️
Digging a little deeper, we find the sense of hope, trust, and devotion that Jesus has been preparing the disciples for. We see a genuinely optimistic text that proves all of their hard work will be worth it.
Especially because it won’t look like it in the moment!
While this isn’t a favorite to preach in general, I find this a poignant text to reflect on in this moment. As division and destruction have a way of feeling inevitable and news from within a pandemic continues to depress us.
Jesus is offering a response to chaos that is stable and fixed. But not in doctrines of the church or traditions that are not allowed to change, but in trusting in the common mission and in the love of Jesus.