Luke 21:7-18: a reflection

7They asked him, “Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?” 8He said, “Watch out that you don’t get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is at hand.’ Therefore don’t follow them. 9When you hear of wars and disturbances, don’t be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won’t come immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13It will turn out as a testimony for you. 14Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict. 16You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death. 17You will be hated by all men for my name’s sake. 18And not a hair of your head will perish.

Jesus prepares his followers for coming trials and persecution, telling them not to be terrified, and promising that he himself will give them words and wisdom, and will preserve them. When you hear of wars and disturbances, don't be terrified, Jesus says. They will lay their hands on you and persecute you; but settle it in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand. Not a hair of your head will perish. Jesus does not hide from his followers that hard times, wars, persecution, betrayal, and hatred for his name, would come. But he meets these with reassurance: do not be terrified; and when you are brought before authorities, do not worry about how to answer, for I will give you words and wisdom; and, in the end, not a hair of your head will perish. Christ prepares, reassures, and promises to provide and preserve. This shows Christ's reassurance and promise to provide and preserve his own in trial. In trial and persecution, do not be terrified; Christ is with you. Christ promises to give his own words and wisdom in the hour of testing. Even through hardship, Christ preserves his own; not a hair will finally perish. Trust Christ to provide and preserve you in trial.

Notice how Jesus prepares his followers for coming trials. He is honest about what would come: wars and disturbances, persecution, being handed over to authorities, betrayal even by family and friends, hatred for his name. He does not pretend these would not come. But he meets each with reassurance and promise. To the prospect of wars and disturbances, he says: do not be terrified. To the prospect of being brought before rulers and having to answer, he says: do not worry beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom your adversaries cannot withstand. And to the whole prospect of hardship and even death, he gives a word of ultimate preservation: not a hair of your head will perish. Christ prepares his own, reassures them against terror, promises to provide what they need in the moment, and assures them of ultimate preservation. This holds comfort for us in our own trials and testing. When hard times come, when we face opposition, hostility, or the prospect of having to stand for Christ before those who are against us, we can be tempted to terror and anxious worry. But Christ's word to his own holds: do not be terrified; he is with us. And he promises to provide what we need in the moment, words and wisdom, when we are called to answer, so that we need not be consumed with anxious preparation. And, ultimately, he preserves his own; even through hardship and death, not a hair finally perishes, for those who are his are kept by him. We do well, in trial, to trust Christ, who tells us not to be terrified, promises to give us words and wisdom, and preserves his own. In trial and persecution, do not be terrified; Christ is with you. Trust Christ to give you words and wisdom when you must answer. Even through hardship, Christ preserves his own; you are kept by him. Meet coming trials not with terror, but with trust in Christ who provides and preserves.

That is worth taking to heart, for Christ reassures his own in trial, promising to provide words and wisdom and to preserve them, as he prepared his followers for persecution. We can meet coming trials with terror; but Christ tells his own not to be terrified, promises to give them words and wisdom, and preserves them. Trust him. When you face trial, opposition, or the need to stand for Christ, do not give way to terror or anxious worry; trust Christ, who is with you, gives words and wisdom, and preserves his own. Meet coming trials and persecution not with terror or anxious worry but with trust in Christ, who is with you, promises to give you words and wisdom when you must answer, and preserves his own so that not a hair of your head will finally perish, as Jesus prepared his followers for coming trials, telling them not to be terrified and promising that he himself would give them a mouth and wisdom their adversaries could not withstand and that not a hair of their head would perish; for Jesus does not hide that hard times, wars, persecution, betrayal, and hatred for his name would come, but meets these with reassurance, do not be terrified, and when brought before authorities do not worry how to answer for I will give you words and wisdom, and in the end not a hair of your head will perish, so that Christ prepares, reassures, and promises to provide and preserve, which holds comfort for us in our own trials, since when hard times come and we face opposition, hostility, or the prospect of standing for Christ before those against us we can be tempted to terror and anxious worry, but Christ's word holds, do not be terrified, he is with us, and he promises to provide what we need in the moment so that we need not be consumed with anxious preparation, and ultimately he preserves his own so that even through hardship and death not a hair finally perishes, so that we do well in trial to trust Christ.

Lord Jesus, you prepare your followers for coming trials and persecution, telling them not to be terrified, and promising that you yourself will give them words and wisdom, and will preserve them. When you hear of wars and disturbances, you say, don't be terrified. They will lay their hands on you and persecute you; but settle it in your hearts not to prepare beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand. Not a hair of your head will perish. You do not hide from your followers that hard times, wars, persecution, betrayal, and hatred for your name would come. But you meet these with reassurance: do not be terrified; and when you are brought before authorities, do not worry about how to answer, for I will give you words and wisdom; and, in the end, not a hair of your head will perish. Show me how you prepare your followers for coming trials. You are honest about what would come: persecution, being handed over, betrayal even by family, hatred for your name. You do not pretend these would not come. But you meet each with reassurance and promise. To the prospect of wars, you say: do not be terrified. To the prospect of having to answer before rulers, you say: do not worry beforehand, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom your adversaries cannot withstand. And to the whole prospect of hardship, you give a word of ultimate preservation: not a hair of your head will perish. This holds comfort for me in my own trials and testing. When hard times come, when I face opposition, hostility, or the prospect of standing for you before those against me, I can be tempted to terror and anxious worry. But your word to your own holds: do not be terrified; you are with me. And you promise to provide what I need in the moment, words and wisdom, so that I need not be consumed with anxious preparation. And, ultimately, you preserve your own. Take that to my heart. When I face trial, opposition, or the need to stand for you, keep me from giving way to terror or anxious worry; help me trust you, Lord, who are with me, give words and wisdom when I must answer, and preserve your own, so that not a hair of my head will finally perish.