16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 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, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.REFLECTIONSWritten by Thom BransdonIt was only a few years ago that I first came across a Christian organisation called Voice of the Martyrs, which aims to raise awareness and defend the rights of persecuted Christians around the world. I remember how shocked I was when I read current reports about Christians being killed, attacked, and persecuted, all over the world. I couldn't believe that these stories were not from history – people were suffering, dying for the message of the gospel right now, and very few people knew about it.The passage today reminds us that we have also been sent to spread the gospel, just like the saints I read about, just like the Twelve being sent out in our passage – and like them, we’ve been sent out into a world of wolves. Our sinful world is hostile to Christ and His message, and He warns that His followers will definitely suffer hardship in His name. He tells the Twelve to be shrewd and innocent and to be on guard – to be good witnesses of Christ when they go through trials.Mercifully, even as the passage warns of floggings and being arrested, we are told in verses 19-20 that we don’t need to worry about finding the right words – a fear that we can all relate to. God will give us the words to say when we need them; the Spirit will speak through us on His behalf. What a comforting thought for the Christian who dreads public speaking, or (like me) worries that they will say the wrong thing about the gospel, or leave something vital out!Verse 22 tells us that we will be hated by everyone because of our association with Christ. I for one am tempted to try to ingratiate myself with the world. I struggle to accept that the world will hate the news about Christ. Jesus tells us that this is the way it is, but blessedly only for a short time. The Son of Man will return, while we’re still in the middle of doing His work. We should spread the gospel in the face of adversity, work urgently and encourage one another to stand firm until He returns at the end.QUESTIONWhen people treat us badly for being Jesus’ followers, what things can we remember to make sure we keep telling them about Jesus anyway?ABOUT THE AUTHORThom is a member at our Fairfield morning church.