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Continuing our focus of Luke’s Gospel, this week please read Chapter 21 verses 8 to 24 every day this week and, if possible, use a different translation each day, asking God to open your eyes to fresh revelation from His Word.
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Luke 21:16-19 (The Message)
‘”You’ll even be turned in by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. Some of you will be killed. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me. Even so, every detail of your body and soul—even the hairs of your head! —is in my care; nothing of you will be lost. Staying with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.’
I think in previous devotions, I’ve mentioned the word apologetics. This is basically a discipline where people study apparent contradictions in the scripture and find solutions to them. Sometimes this is relatively easy, but it is very, very hard on other occasions. Today’s verse is seemingly a contradiction. In the first part of the verses Jesus declares that ‘some of you will be killed’, and yet later, He says ‘every detail of your body…is in my care; nothing of you will be lost.’
Surely, Jesus wouldn’t bring such conflict in the same breath! Luke doesn’t even try to bring any kind of explanation so I guess the solution is obvious. In order to give an insight of sorts, please let me illustrate what I think the answer is.
I’ll always remember the birth of our children. The births were so different as is their character and personality. My daughter’s birth was protracted over many, many hours/days while my son’s was over almost as soon as labour had kicked in. During those long hours of labour with my daughter, I did what I could to stay close to Cath and to encourage and support in some small way. There were moments where there was some laughter but most of it was sheer agony for Cath as Bethan reluctantly was forced to leave what had been her home for 9 months or so.
During the last few hours, I sat next to Cath holding her hand and wiping the perspiration from her face. With every contraction, my hand was being squeezed so tight that I thought every bone had been broken. All the time, I was whispering to her “It’s going to be ok, I’m here.” The reality of course was that I was completely powerless to help and I didn’t know if everything was going to be ok. But I knew that I loved her with every fibre of my being and that if she kept pushing, everything would be ok. The pain would subside and that we’d have a child as a result.
Anyone who is familiar with the teachings of Jesus would know that there is no contradiction in Jesus’ words. In Matthew 10, Jesus says that we are not to worry about our lives and that the hairs of our head are numbered. His care for us is constant and His love never fails. I didn’t want Cath to go through the pain of labour, but I knew that I would be there with her and offer my love and care throughout. How much more can we know the love and care of Almighty God? He’s not promised that we wouldn’t have trials but has declared that He would be there with us throughout. Stephen was martyred for his faith in Jesus and I can imagine that as the first of those stones struck his face, Jesus’ hands were holding his head, stroking his face and whispering, “It’s going to be ok. I’m here.” Jesus knew that this period of pain would soon birth a new life, an eternal life because the soul of Stephen was in His hands. You see, the importance that we place on this life isn’t the priority that God places on it. To Him, our soul is the thing that matters. Yes, God has plans for our lives and they are plans to prosper us and not to harm us, but the ultimate purpose He has for us is to see the completion of our salvation. The message today is that we ought not to be worried about what may happen to us in this life. If we keep pushing, we’ll see the fruition of His plans for our lives.
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