Most of us, if given the chance ahead of time, would likely opt to avoid experiences of extreme suffering or persecution. While we can recognize the personal growth that comes from enduring hardship, we still want to avoid chaos, violence, and betrayal if we can. So, when Jesus's final sermon before his crucifixion begins by foretelling a crisis to coincide with the coming of the Day of the Lord, we probably look for ways to explain it away rather than preparing ourselves for these eventualities. But Jesus is not trying to scare us or elevate suffering for suffering's sake; he is trying the prepare us. He understands that the remaking of the world to address it's brokenness will provoke those who benefit from imbalance and injustice. He wants us to be prepare, so that when we face blow back for witnessing to God's mission in a world opposed to that mission, we won't try to depend on our own strength, but rather will trust God to carry us through. 

Photo by Aron Visuals on Unsplash.

On Scary Stuff and Superpowers

Welcome to the sermon feed for Abiding Peace Lutheran Church: Journey of Faith. We would love to have you with us for worship, but if you can't join us on Sunday mornings, we hope these messages bring the challenge and grace of the gospel to your life.