Perspectives – “With Persecutions”

I heard a pastor tell this story. True or false, I don’t know. A missionary came and showed slides of impoverished teen girls, brown-skinned and in torn clothes, trafficked from country to country. As he did, an American teen glanced at the pictures, barely listened, and said, “Look at their distressed clothes, tanned skins, and skinny bodies. And talked about frequent travel and visiting new countries. I wish I were with them.”

Refugee camps (and slumps) can be horrendous: tents lined one after another, muddy pathways mixed with rainwater and sewer, garbage everywhere, kids in raggedy clothes and runny noses, mothers babysitting several kids, while fathers, brothers, and uncles (every older man) gathered around little fires and smoking cigarettes. Nothing as glamorous as the teenager thought.

As soon as a wealthy man refused to follow Jesus and Jesus taught about the difficulty of rich people letting go of their wealth to gain a good name and enter God’s rule, Peter began to speak, but Jesus cut him short. Peter wanted to know what he would gain for leaving everything and following Jesus (Mark 10:28). Jesus said,

“At this time … with persecutions; In the coming age, eternal life.” (10:30)

Like the American teen, we don’t hear this small phrase “with persecutions.” Instead, we hear Jesus say,

“No one who let go houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, or lands … will go empty-handed without receiving in hundred-fold houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands.” (10:29–30)

Some understand it concretely, meaning Christians will be wealthy – with hundred-fold houses and lands, while others understand it figuratively, meaning Christians will have plenty of Christian brothers, sisters, mothers, and children. Both groups, however, ignore the phrase “with persecutions.”

Jesus didn’t promise Peter and others concrete or figurative blessings. He predicted what awaited them – persecutions, which included constantly changing houses, lands, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and children. Uniquely and significantly missing was “spouses.” Persecutions, scattering, relocations, and refugee camps would alter where a person lived and whom s/he called brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and children, but they would not change whom they lived with and called “wives” or “husbands.” Spouses remained the same. Persecutions didn’t permit exchanges of spouses.

As harsh as persecutions were, they had a significant reward: “eternal life in the age to come” (10:30b). In the context, this phrase “eternal life” meant a good name – history and God praised those who endured persecutions. In biblical (especially John’s theology), this phrase meant unending life – those who endured persecution or died in persecution only suffered temporarily; they had eternal life in the presence of God.

Once the disciples understood that Jesus was talking about persecutions and the loss of houses, lands, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers, they wouldn't fight to be the “firsts.” Instead, they would want to be the “lasts” (10:31).

The Boon family – the father, Casper ten Boon, and the sisters: Betsie ten Boon and Corrie ten Boon – met several brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and children as they protected them from the persecution by Nazis. Eventually, they, too, lost their homes as they were arrested and sent to the Ravensbrück concentration camp.

We shouldn’t seek persecution but shouldn’t shy away from it either. With persecutions, we receive many brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, children, houses, and lands. In the end, a good name and eternal life.