Luke 21:16-18 16And you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put to death some of you . 17And you will be hated by all on account of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will be lost. 19By your patient endurance you will gain your souls.
The next prediction is not one we want to hear. The opposition the disciples would face would come even from family and friends, those closest to us. The call to discipleship requires putting relationships with others in a secondary position (12:53; 14:26; 18:29). In some cultures that are strong in honor and shame, family can exert tremendous pressure on people to conform to the wishes of the family. Those who grew up in a Christian home are fortunate and blessed to have such a nurturing environment. Those who become a Christian when the rest of the family is another religion may face tremendous rejection. In some settings, family may completely turn on a believer and disown, kick out, or even kill a believer.
The persecution comes for my name’s sake. Hatred for Jesus and the gospel can lead to devastation and death. Verse 17 is an exaggeration because not everyone will indeed hate Christians, but in some hostile settings, it may seem like that. There are places in the world today where bearing the name of Jesus can be extremely dangerous and can lead to severe punishment, prison camp, or death. The reason for all the suffering is because people have put their faith in the powerful name of Jesus. There is something about Jesus that many in the world will reject.
In spite of these troubles, Jesus offers his followers a promise in verse 18. The hairs of one’s head represent the smallest visible aspect of a person. In Matthew 10:30, Jesus said that even the hairs of our head are numbered. God knows and cares about the finite details about our lives. This verse is also an exaggeration because there were some early disciples who lost their lives because of persecution, such as Stephen and James. Many other believers would be martyred in the decades and centuries that followed. However, these words give assurance that, in the end, there is more to our existence than physical life. The hope of resurrection overpowers the threat of death.
Jesus’ last statement in verse 19 has an implied exhortation that confirms that verse 18 is referring to more than physical life. Endurance (hypomonē) refers to holding fast to one’s convictions and faith in spite of opposition and pressure to compromise (8:15; 9:24). The word for soul (phychas) has a spiritual sense in reference to the part of us that exists after death. It is the essence of who we are. It is more than physical life and can inherit eternal life. Believers must persevere through opposition and persecution so that we will not lose out on the promise of eternal life. When persecution comes, the natural response is to take the way of least resistance. But the danger of this is that we will forsake Jesus and not inherit the promises of the kingdom.
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