Martyred Yet Not Perishing – Luke 21:10-19

The Catholic site catholiceducation.org has an interesting article on the difference between martyrdom for Christians and martyrdom for Muslims.  A main point they make about Christian martyrdom is:

Martyrdom, nonetheless, was always clearly distinguished from suicide or anything suggestive of suicide. According to St. Gregory of Nazianzus, it is mere rashness to seek death, but it is cowardly to refuse it. In the modern age, G.K. Chesterton has remarked that the Christian “must desire life like water and yet drink death like wine.”

Jesus is addressing the real possibility of martyrdom for some of his followers.

Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this 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 your opportunity to bear witness. Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives 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 21:10-19 ESV)

Other signs of Jerusalem’s coming destruction and Jesus’ return are wars, earthquakes, famines, pestilences and heavenly omens.  But all the way up to these things there will be persecution of Jesus’ disciples.  However, that will be an opportunity to appear before important people and give witness to Jesus.  And Jesus will give them the words they need in their defense before their adversaries, words that will bring conviction and so, in some cases, death.

Despite experiencing the hatred of the world and suffering and death from persecution, Jesus assures us that not a hair of our heads will perish, and that enduring through such persecution will gain us our lives.  And by this he means we will be ushered into heaven at our deaths.  Death for the believer is not perishing but reward.

Lord Jesus, may I be found worthy to suffer for your name.