Today's Gospel is a continuation of yesterday’s Gospel in which we heard Jesus warning about the end times to come. This was written in Luke’s Gospel at a time of great persecutions in the Early Church. Today’s message can be very disturbing, since it foretells that those who follow Jesus will be despised and subjected to many trials and tribulations all because of their faith. It warns that even those closest family members and loved ones will turn against us. Living as disciples of Christ does not promise us the easiest journey through life here on earth. If we read the messages of the end times that are contained in Scripture, it can be quite a disconcerting message, especially in the way our Evangelical Christian brothers and sisters interpret that message. I don’t think this message is meant to provide us with all the answers, to when the end times are coming. Instead, we are called to pray for and to reach out to those fellow believers who are persecuted or discriminated against for their faith. We are to think about what it really means to live out a life of discipleship, to be willing to speak out from the perspective of faith in an increasingly secular world that can be particularly hostile to the message we bring. From today’s Gospel, may we feel encouragement from the message Jesus give to us, empowering us to live out our faith and to bring our message to the world.
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