Key Passage
“Brothers will turn against their own brothers and give them to be killed. Fathers will turn against their own children and give them to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and find ways for their parents to be killed.”
— Mark 13:12 ERV (Read Full Text)
Key Thought
Jesus had warned that his ministry and those loyal to him, could find themselves having to choose between their family and their faith, their circle of friends and their faith. As the hostility of living in a fallen world breaks upon us, betrayal will strike very close to the hearts of believers just as it did to the Savior. We shouldn’t be surprised that some in our own family would betray us if one of Jesus’ handpicked apostles did the same to him.
Prayer
O Master and God, please help me to be strong enough to withstand the betrayal of those close to me. Please let me never outlive my love for your Son. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Related Scriptures
“If the world hates you, remember that the world hated me first. If you belonged to the world, then the world would love you like it loves its own people. But I have chosen you out of the world. So you don’t belong to the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the lesson I told you: A servant is not greater than his master. If people did wrong to me, then they will do wrong to you too. And if people obeyed my teaching, then they will obey yours too. People will do all this to you because of me. They don’t know the One who sent me.
— John 15:18-21
This is the teaching you have heard from the beginning: We must love each other. Don’t be like Cain. Cain belonged to the Evil One (the devil). Cain killed his brother {Abel }. But why did Cain kill his brother? Because the things Cain did were evil, and the things his brother {Abel} did were good. Brothers and sisters, don’t be surprised when the people of this world hate you.
— 1 John 3:11-13
Many people were traveling with Jesus. Jesus said to the people, “If a person comes to me, but will not leave his father, mother, wife, children, brothers, or sisters, then that person cannot be my follower. A person must love me more than he loves anything—even his own life! If a person will not carry the cross (suffering) that is given to him when he follows me, then that person cannot be my follower.
— Luke 14:25-27
Devotional provided by Heartlight®
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