Matthew 10:16-25. Enduring to the End
Benjamin Kwashi was the Anglican Archbishop of Jos, Nigeria. Jos has been rocked by sectarian violence for years now, primarily because Muslims have been attacking Christians and their churches. There have been endless cycles of violence and vengeance and hundreds of people have been killed.
In March of 2009, a gang of people broke into the Archbishop's house to kill him. He wasn't home, but his wife, Gloria, was. They did unspeakable things to her, they beat her and left her for dead. When the bishop found her, she was still alive, but she spent most of the following year in recovery.
A year to the day after this gang beat her, in March of 2010, they came back. They broke into his home again, and this time they did find the Archbishop. They dragged him out of his house, and they were about to kill him. They had machetes and clubs.
The Archbishop asked for just a moment to pray before they began. So he knelt there on the dirt and began to pray. A moment later he felt someone holding his hand. He looked up, and it was his wife.
The Archbishop later said:
“I still can't believe the courage of that woman. She could have run, but instead she broke through this line of the same people who had attacked her a year ago and knelt with her husband to pray with him, knowing that her life was over as well.”
And then a moment later, he felt someone holding his other hand. He looked, and it was his teenage son. The Archbishop then begged his son to leave so that he wouldn't be killed as well. At this his son said,
“Father, they've all left. They're all gone.”
Why did they leave? The Archbishop said he had no idea, but he knows they'll be back.
Could it be that when this Archbishop and his wife were kneeling in the dirt in prayer, the manifold wisdom of God was put on display before the powers and authorities in the heavenly realm? There was wisdom and power there that these people could not comprehend, and they became afraid and fled.
Thousands of Christians are killed each year because of their faith in Jesus. 4,849 Christians were murdered for their faith globally in one year, with roughly 93% of those deaths occurring in sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond fatal attacks, tens of thousands face physical abuse, abductions, forced marriages, and sexual violence. Hundreds of thousands are forced to flee their homes or become internally displaced. Countries with ‘extreme’ levels of anti-Christian hostility include North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Persecution in these areas is driven either by Islamic extremism, strict state-enforced communist ideologies, severe nationalist restrictions or other extremist groups.
According to the Open Doors World Watch list report, more than 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. This means roughly 1 in 7 believers worldwide experience hostile conditions, with the rate climbing to 1 in 5 in Africa and 2 in 5 in Asia. In North Korea, if Christians are identified they risk being sent to labour camps.
Opposition is coming for us all
This is shocking, yet it is precisely what Jesus said would be the lot of those who follow him faithfully.
Jesus is training his disciples for their work of mission. This was the example he had set his followers, to proclaim the gospel about God’s kingdom and to care for people:
“Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.” Matthew 9:35
Jesus is saying that he is King of all the world and here he is proclaiming the good news to sheep without a shepherd. This compassion led Jesus to send out the twelve disciples with his message of judgment and possible peace.
Those first disciples would surely be amazed to hear what Jesus said to them:
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” Matthew 10:16
What good shepherd would ever do that! Why did Jesus say this? Surely he is warning them that their mission is dangerous but vital. Jesus then prepares them:
“Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16
Snakes are shrewd and wise. Jesus is telling his followers not to be naive, but at the same time to behave like doves, open, pure, be transparently kind and honest.
There are some Christians who, seeing the dangers, stay out of sight all the time! That will never achieve the goals God has set for us. We need wisdom so we know how best to behave for our Lord’s glory at any particular time. We are like sheep going out amongst wolves. There are times when we are to be as bold as lions, but always be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.
Where will living such lives lead us? However carefully we conduct our lives for Christ, the outcome will be unjust:
“Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.” Matthew 10:17-18
They would be arrested and flogged, public disgrace and pain would be their lot, yet they were still commissioned to go out proclaiming about Jesus and his Kingdom and caring. Jesus was not talking about a particular man; he uses the plural, any follower of Jesus will find life tough. Paul himself described the awful persecution he suffered as a result of living for Christ and then went on to say:
“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue . . .” 2 Timothy 3:12-14
The disciples would surely be asking, ‘Why should this be our expectation?’ Jesus gave two explanations.
On my account.’ Simply because we have an allegiance to Jesus we will be hated. Just being an open Christian can cause some to hate us.
‘As witnesses.’ All Christians are called to witness to others about the fact that Jesus is the King of all. At the beginning of this chapter we saw that this was what Jesus’ disciples were being trained to do. They were being trained to go out and speak up. God wants the world to hear God’s good news about the free offer of forgiveness.
The disciples were therefore under no illusions; they were going out like sheep among wolves. Is this a reason why Judas Iscariot turned his back on following Jesus?
The implications of what Jesus is saying are very striking. Jesus is saying his disciples will be arrested, flogged and tried before the authorities. What would we expect an all-powerful shepherd say to his sheep when they faced such terrors. Would he say:
‘Don’t worry! I will get you out.’
‘Don’t worry, you won’t feel it.’
‘Don’t worry, you will be protected.’
God is able to do all of these and sometimes does, but notice what he wants his people to continue doing:
“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:19-20
It is so easy to miss this; it is all about them continuing to speak. That is why they are there and they are called to continue speaking about Jesus as King. They must speak wisely and behave as doves but never stop talking about Jesus.
It is striking that when Jesus was arrested and taken before the High Priest, Annas, John emphasises the words Jesus used:
“Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus replied. “I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby slapped him in the face. “Is this the way you answer the high priest?” he demanded. “If I said something wrong,” Jesus replied, “testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?” John 18:19-23
Jesus is saying that when we are under the greatest pressure to stop doing what God sent you to do, to speak up graciously about Jesus, he will give us help so we can continue to do what you were commissioned for.
These verses are wonderfully Trinitarian. God’s sheep are being sent out by Jesus into a hostile world but they will not be alone. Even after Jesus had returned to heaven to be with his heavenly Father, he would still be with each of his people through his Spirit:
“. . . the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” Matthew 10:20
What wonderful confidence this gives us all. When it is so hard to stay faithful in speaking about Jesus, God will be there, prompting us what to say and helping us to cope with the temptation to deny Jesus.
The opposition may be close to home
We can all see the benefits that warm, close families bring to people. We are told to honour our parents, but when a family member becomes a Christian, frictions, animosity and even hatred can arise. Even today in England, if a Muslim becomes a Christian they are deemed to have committed treason, apostasy against Allah, and according to Sharia law which fortunately is not legal in England, the penalty is death. Some who become Christians are forced to move away from their family:
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.” Matthew 10:21
Governments, local authorities and even former friends or work colleagues may turn against a Christian:
“You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22
Jesus taught that the world is in rebellion against its creator and therefore it will be against us. Why is there such hatred? Jesus explains the reason:
“. . . because of me.”
All Christians must come to understand that the King comes first. This is why we are willing to risk everything for the Lord:
“. . . but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 10:22
What does this mean? Jesus repeats the phrase later when he describes there future opposition Christians will face:
“ Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:12-14
To those who remain loyal to Jesus and pass on the news about him to others, whatever the cost, and may even die doing this, Jesus promises that such people will be saved. This is important. The greatest danger we face is not suffering, losing relationships or even death; it is to drift from Christ because he alone can give us eternal salvation, the forgiveness of our sin. Don’t forget this is why Jesus came. He said to Zacchaeus, the despised tax collector in Jericho:
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
When we understand the plight we are in because of our sin, to deny Christ is most foolish. When Jesus put himself at the centre of our existence, some decided to stop following him:
“He went on to say, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.’
From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.’” John 6:65-68
If we lose out in the world’s eyes, we have a certain hope of a glorious future where we will be given so much more. This is why we must ‘stands firm to the end’, only those who do so ‘will be saved’.
Paul gave a summary of the gospel at the beginning of his letter to the Colossians but again stressed that to be save were must ‘continue in the faith’:
“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of[g] your evil behaviour. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.” Colossians 1:22-23
The early church took the teaching of Jesus seriously.
“When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another.” Matthew 10:23
They were heavily persecuted in Jerusalem, after Stephen had been martyred:
“On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. . . But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.” Acts 8:1-4
They knew what God had chosen Christians to keep sharing the gospel until he returns. Jesus says he is going to return; it is not ‘if’ but ‘when’.
Summary
Jesus now summarises what his disciples must understand, both then and now:
“The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!” Matthew 10:24-25
This is meant to wake us up. He has called us to follow him and we will therefore be treated just as he was. If Jesus was maligned how much more will we be? Jesus was gracious and full of kindness and miraculous gifts yet, as we have seen in chapter 9:
“But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.” Matthew 9:34
In spite of his knowing all that would be involved, he told his disciples:
“Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’” Matthew 9:37-38
Yet Jesus had told the twelve what will happen to him:
“He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.” Luke 18:32-33
Jesus endured the humiliation and torture, he was saved from death, and was raised up. This is what he has promised those of us who endure in living for him to the end. This is why we must decide to follow our master faithfully. We may seem to lose out now, but we have the promise of God, the word of Jesus, that it will all be worthwhile.
Richard Wurmbrand
Richard Wurmbrand was a Romanian pastor who spent nearly 14 years in prison for preaching under Communism, served in two main periods, 1948–1956 and 1959–1964. Three of these years were spent in an underground cell twelve feet below the surface, without light or windows. He told this story about a young member of the church:
“One of our workers was a young girl of the underground church. The Communist police had discovered that she secretly spread the gospel and told children about Christ. They decided to arrest her. To make it as painful as they could, they decided to delay her arrest a few weeks until the day she was to be married. On her wedding day, the girl was dressed as a bride, the most wonderful, joyous day in a girl’s life. Suddenly the door was pushed open and the secret police rushed in. When the girl saw the secret police, she held out her arms towards them to be handcuffed. They roughly put the manacles on her wrists. She looked towards her beloved, then kissed the chain and said:
‘I thank my heavenly bridegroom for this jewel he has presented to me on my marriage day. I thank him that I am worthy to suffer for him.’
We all knew what would happen to young girls in the hands of Communist guards.”
Then Wurmbrandt commented,
“What would a loving bride not do for a loving bridegroom? If you love Jesus as a bride loves her bridegroom then you can resist such tortures.”
BVP
This article has been posted on the website www.bvpalmer.com where there are many other helpful articles and videos.
Christchurch Baldock is a Bible teaching, gospel centred, local church. More details can be found on its website. It meets every Sunday morning at 10.30 am in Knights Templar School, Baldock
Bernard can be contacted at berniepalmer1@sky.com
