By your endurance you will gain your lives.’” (Luke 21:12-19).
Sometimes we have to just stand up and say that a thing is NOT acceptable.
Sometimes we say this when the thing is clearly unjust or wrong and though we might speak up about it our words will really make no material difference to the outcome of the event at all. Nevertheless, it is important for us to say what we need to say and to say this is NOT okay with me…
“Jesus said, ‘They will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony... You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.’” (Luke 21:12-19).
And here – right here in the Gospel, Christ, who is God the Son, tells us that He will NOT prevent terrible things from happening. They will happen. Instead, He tells us that when those terrible things happen to us, they will not be the end of the world for us, they will not even be the worst possible thing. We will not be protected from all harm. In fact, sometimes physical and material harm will befall us. But when we have the courage to stand up and say it is NOT okay with me about the things that are NOT okay with God, then God Himself will protect us spiritually. And THAT is something precious…
Millions of martyrs sacrificed their lives for the sake of GOODNESS and for the sake of God. And millions of them were “saved” from perishing. And this is the critical element. You see, it all comes down about perspective. When an individual tries to save their physical life, they lose their spiritual one. And when they lose their spiritual life, they are lost. So, even though it may seem that a soul has lost everything in the world, in fact they may have gained all the world itself – but just not this world, the next one.
And I have been thinking about that today. Because it seems to me that I spend so much of my life trying to protect the material world that I have built for myself that I have forgotten to cherish and protect the spiritual one that God has in store for me. And this is a difficult fact to remember. After all, it is easier to fit in than to stand out. It is easier to go with the flow and agree with the crowd than to stand up and say, this is NOT okay. And I have been thinking about that today, because it seems that I do not say NOT nearly as often as I should…
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.
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