‘You will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved’ Matthew 10:22 (NKJV)
Yeshua often said things which people knew were true, but they didn’t want to hear! This little verse is in the middle of a longer speech about what life was going to be like for the fledgling body of believers; everyone was going to be persecuted, and even kicked out of their own homes. It is interesting that Yeshua was again talking about being ‘saved’ or being ‘safe’. The disciples could have been forgiven for asking, ‘So we are going to be put in prison, tortured, beaten, executed and despised, and you still want to describe us as being safe [Hoshiah!’ Much of Yeshua’ teaching contains elements of the ‘now and not-yet’ of the kingdom of Yehovah – including His teaching on Salvation. He seems to be saying that even if you face a tough time now, if you stick at it for Him, then one day you will know fullness in every area of your life. Trusting Yehovah is not an option for a believer – hope for the future is central to the gospel. 1 Corinthians may say that the most important thing that remains is love, but remember that faith and hope are up there as well! Hope is the power to believe that Yehovah can change the future, the ability to know that you are safe in His hands. Trusting Yehovah can be difficult, particularly if you are experiencing hardship. However ask yourself, ‘If nobody hates me because I’m a believer, am I doing anything wrong?’ The Bible explains that if the world hated Yeshua, it will also hate His followers. Are you following Yeshua closely enough that the world would notice, be challenged, or made uncomfortable?