Gospel: Luke 21: 12-19
When Luke wrote this Gospel, persecution was a real fact of life for the small community of Christians. After the fall of Jerusalem, the split between Christians and Jews became complete. Christians could no longer assert that they were a sect within Judaism. This meant they now had to pay tribute to Caesar as a deity, something they were not willing to do, and so punishments and persecution ensued.
In spite of all this danger, the message in response was always the same: do not worry, and in fact rejoice in being persecuted. Christians were never encouraged to entrust themselves to political leaders or ideologies, nor seek refuge in the strong man for societal protection. Instead, the Christian is to put their trust in the Lord and to accept whatever comes in a spirit of joy.
Regardless of what is happening in our world, the mission of the Christian is always the same. We are to extend love and mercy to all in the world. We are to provide healing, liberation, and nourishment to all in need of these things in body and soul. The response to persecution is not whining, nor seeking power and influence in the world. It is to trust and to continue the work of love and mercy.
No comments:
Post a Comment