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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 21:12 (New American Standard Bible – NASB)
‘”But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.’
During my early childhood, I lived in a town that had a pretty bad reputation. It was regarded as being quite rough with more than its fair share of ‘dodgy’ people. My father was a policeman and we lived in the local police station.
I’m not trying to exaggerate the situation but I think it’s fair to say that my life during those early years wasn’t very easy. I was continually picked on and beaten up on a frequent basis. I was a small child and this didn’t help matters as the bigger children saw me as easy pickings. I wasn’t particularly violent nor was I someone who stood up for myself. As a result, even though I tried to avoid confrontation, life was tough.
I’m sure that there are a few people reading this who are asking the question “Why was I the subject of the abuse?” It’s quite simple really. I was beaten up because I lived in a rough village and was the son of a policeman. My father was a representation of law and order. Clearly, they didn’t want that and therefore took it out on his son. They were making a statement of intent every time they hit or abused me – ‘We don’t want what you represent.’
It’s possible that you’ve heard many sermons about our verse today. Even though Jesus’ words are specifically spoken to His disciples and relate to a particular period of history, many preachers use this verse illustratively of the persecution that the Church will endure during its time on earth. I don’t take issue with this application of scripture because we know that such persecution was experienced long after the death of the early apostles. Hebrews 11 lists the men and women of faith who endured so much and ‘of whom the world was not worthy.’
There is an additional point I want to make though and I think it’s quite important that we understand it. As I child, I was beaten not because my father’s name was Peter, but because I was a policeman’s son. My father’s name was irrelevant. However, we read in this verse that the disciples would be persecuted ‘for my Name’s sake’. In today’s culture, there are so many people who claim to be Christians. In countless cities across America, thousands of people gather each Sunday and profess to be ‘Christians’. I’m not necessarily questioning anyone’s salvation, but it’s clear from Scripture that the disciples are persecuted for the sake of His Name. The term Christian can mean so much and yet can mean so little. However, that Name stands above them all and speaks of everything that God wants to do in this world. When we use the Name of Jesus in the way it is intended, it is then that the enemy of our souls is disturbed. Wearing a badge of Christianity means little to Satan, but when we stand in faith and use the Name of Jesus, all Hell begins to shake. At that point, we are standing for and representing everything that the Name holds.
My prayer today is that we have the boldness to speak of Jesus and not just hide behind an acceptable face of Christianity. May His Kingdom be extended as we share Jesus with a desperate world.
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