In the parable of the two builders (Luke 6:46-49), both the wise man and the foolish man have to face a raging storm; a house destroying torrent. Well, for the foolish man anyway. The only difference between the two men is that the wise man heard and lived the message of Jesus; he built his house on the solid rock. Following Jesus does not keep the storms from raging. It gives us a solid foundation to withstand the storms. Ah, but the health and wealth gospel still clings to the tapestry of Christianity like cigarette smoke. Follow Jesus and get yourself a new car! Or house! Or a boat load of money! Follow Jesus and never ever suffer through an illness. This theology is not sustainable. Oh sure, there are wealthy and healthy Christians, but there are many who live in poverty. But it is more than that. Storms rage in everyone’s life and it is not health or wealth that offers up a solid foundation. And yet this gospel clings. Some desperately want the good news to be about their personal wealth and health. But Jesus promised the opposite. Storms will rage. What is your house built upon?
Luke 21:12-19 continues the discussion of the time before the destruction of the temple. The previous section was sweeping: nations rising up against nations; earthquakes; plagues; and famines. The present section is personal. Before the destruction of the temple the followers of Christ will be persecuted. A nebulous “they” will throw their hands upon you. We may not know who the “they” are, but we can be sure that it involves both Jewish and Gentile forms of legal persecution. They will lay hands on you; they will pursue you with evil intent and they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons and kings and governors. And all of this will be done on account of Jesus’ name. Wherever a Roman soldier was sent in the world, people knew that he belonged to Rome. He carried with him symbols of his country. It is the same with the followers of Jesus. They carry with them the name. And because of that name they will be hunted down and violently captured and handed over to the authorities to be dealt with.
As bad as that sounds, Jesus said that it would result in them to witness. The NASB throws in the word “opportunity” here to make it sound better. And that is probably a good way to view what Jesus is saying. No one wants to be pursued and have others throw their hands on them and to be handed over to the authorities. But in that moment rests an opportunity that they would not have otherwise had. They can witness before kings and governors and in the synagogues and prisons. Satan may have been trying to stamp out the Christ movement, but opportunities were opened up here. Isn’t our God amazing? The disciples may have been tempted to prepare their defense in advance. After all, Jesus is telling them it is all going to happen. But he tells them to place it in their hearts not to prepare a defense beforehand. The word “prepare in advance” is a technical term for practicing and memorizing a speech. They are not politicians with a well-crafted speech. Jesus is not commenting on preparing a sermon here. This is about your witness before others. Each opportunity is different. And there needs to be an element of trusting that Jesus is with you in the moment. It is about your relationship with Christ that shapes your words and wisdom; a relationship that cannot be shaken by any opponent.
Even worse than the nebulous “they” pursuing and persecuting, is the betrayal of family and friends. Some will even be executed. Disciples will be hated because they bear the name of Jesus. Well, hmm. Years ago, I heard a speaker say that if we were more like Jesus, people would flock to our churches. And yet, Jesus said that if we bear his name, the world will hate us because it hated him. I think I’ll go with Jesus on this one. And then in verses 18 and 19 he seems to contradict what was said in verse 16. In verse 16 Jesus is talking about some from among the disciples will be killed. In verses 18 and 19 it seems likely that he is speaking of the movement as a whole. Many will want to spiritualize here; suggesting that Jesus is now speaking of eternal life. Maybe. But it seems more likely that he is saying that no matter how bad things get and look, you, as a whole, will endure and the movement will live.
Even though this passage is dealing with the time period before 70 AD, it is relevant for today. You can read through the book of Acts and see the fulfillment of all of Jesus’ words here. However, there is an eternal truth as well. We are not promised that life will be easy; an avoidance of storms. We are promised a foundation in the midst of the storm. And the storm often brings opportunities to witness. Witness on then.