Be ware of people!

Matthew 10:17-22

Jesus told his disciples: Beware of people! For you will be arrested and tried, and whipped in the synagogues. Yes, and you must stand trial before governors and kings for my sake. This will give you the opportunity to tell them about me, yes, to witness to the world. When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say at your trial, for you will be given the right words at the right time. For it won’t be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you! Brother shall betray brother to death, and fathers shall betray their own children. And children shall rise against their parents and cause their deaths. Everyone shall hate you because you belong to me. But all of you who endure to the end shall be saved.

Food for the soul!

What is it that you get from these words of Jesus? some people will impugn your motives, others will smear your reputation"? What is it that Jesus is telling his chosen people of yesterday and today and for ever? What is it that Jesus is telling you and me, if not that life is not meant to be easy? That life and living is hard even for those that follow Jesus.

Jesus is revealing to us THE WAY LIFE IS. Jesus is saying that life is difficult to everybody, including his disciples. This is the badnews. The goodnews is that our GOD IS IN CHARGE. However, God being in charge does not mean a suspension of the way life is.

These are two realities difficult to grasp: God in charge; the way life is. Let us take an example. The lion or crocodile will always eat fresh, even of humans. God will not change that. Women will always feel pain in child birth. God will not change that. We will always feel sad when our dear ones die. God will not change that because this is the way life is, the way God made life to be.

God's care is not to be seen as rescue FROM the way life is. It is rather guidance THROUGH the way life is. God does not save us from getting into trouble, He empowers us to go through trouble. God didn't save Stephen from hatrage and martyrdom. But God “filled [him] with grace and power to work miracles and great signs among the people.” This is what God does: He empowers us in our troubles. Jesus assures us: “When you are arrested, don’t worry about what to say at your trial, for you will be given the right words at the right time. For it won’t be you doing the talking—it will be the Spirit of your heavenly Father speaking through you!”

As someone said, when you get into some storm, remember that "God has not forgotten you...He has not abandoned you in your time of desperation. He often works best in your brokenness...a humble heart is more moldable in His hands. Stop worrying about details...quit trying to figure it out - God knows what He's doing. HE IS IN CONTROL. ..EVEN WHEN LIFE ISN'T. Trust that when your world seems to be falling apart...it's really just falling into place in the hands of your Almighty God." In God’s hands intended evil becomes eventual good.

Today, the day after Jesus was born, we are celebrating St. Stephen, the first martyr. As Jesus warned, no one should be naïve. St. Stephen was the first but not the last to suffer for following Christ's teaching. You and I must never be naïve, either. Some people will impugn our motives, others will smear our reputation…proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end.

Whatever you're going through, you’ll get through it. It won’t be painless. It won’t be quick. But God will use this mess for good . In the meantime don’t be foolish or naive. Be ware of people. Don’t despair either. With God’s help you will get through it.

“All of you who endure to the end shall be saved.”