“An hour is coming when those who kill you will think they are offering worship to God.”—John 16:2
Choosing to follow Christ has never been an easy path. Today’s reading from Jesus’ farewell discourse offers a glimpse into the reality of discipleship. In these last hours before His death, Jesus prepares His apostles for the persecution they will face, counseling them that “those who kill you will think they are offering worship to God.”
Bearing Witness to Truth
Such a declaration must have bewildered the disciples when they heard it, just as it chafes our own ears, nearly two thousand years later. Earlier Jesus had proclaimed that “the truth shall set you free.” How, then, does one walk in the way of truth, if those who persecute you insist that they are serving God? How do we have confidence in the truth, when faced with those who sincerely believe we are wrong? Clearly, such zealous opposition could unsettle the faith of any follower, and Christ knew this when He warned the apostles of what was to come.
While most of us will not confront such a threat of death for our beliefs, we are all called to bear witness to Christ in circumstances that often prove difficult, even painful. I experienced this for myself more than three years ago, when after months of deliberation, I finally told my family that I was no longer Hindu but had chosen to convert to the Catholic faith.
I still vividly remember the expression of pain and disbelief on my mother’s face. From her perspective, I was abandoning the religion into which I had been born, for a faith which was entirely foreign to her. It seemed to her I was committing the unnatural act of discarding my Hindu identity, cutting my familial ties. I saw the grief she was feeling, and in that moment I sensed I was standing at a precipice of faith. What if I really were in the wrong, and she was right? How would I know?
The Spirit of Truth
Here, an earlier verse in today’s reading reveals the answer. Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit upon His disciples, “the Spirit of truth,” stating that “he will testify on my behalf.” What consolation there is in knowing we are not left alone, but may rely upon the Spirit to guide us! Over time, as we walk the path of discipleship, the Holy Spirit bears fruit in our souls with gifts we would not have experienced otherwise: love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness, among others (Gal 5:22). Such was certainly the case for me in my faith journey.
Coming to Know Him
Still, though, we must wrestle with the fact that there remain people who are convinced we are wrong. Jesus took care to warn his disciples that they would be turned out of the synagogue by priests and elders who believed that by condemning them, they were worshiping God. Why did they believe this? Jesus gives the simple but illuminating answer: Because they have not known the Father or me.
Herein lies the key to discerning whether we walk in the way of truth, in the face of those who sincerely oppose us. By spending time with the Lord and coming to know Him, we are given the grace of confidence.
Conversely, those who reject or resist our faith, even out of sincere conviction, have not yet come to know Him. Let this fact rouse the hearts of all who follow Christ. The world today abounds with many stumbling blocks to our faith, yet the deeper and truer our friendship with the Lord, and the more we spend time with Him, the greater our confidence in walking the path of discipleship.
I salute your courage in taking this huge “leap of faith”, Radhika. May God ever continue to guide you and draw you close to Him!
Radhika, I am continually amazed at the courage this required from you. Your self examen of your own burgeoning conviction to the faith that required you to “sell everything you owned” and simultaneously sympathizing with the grief of your own family of origin were beautifully brought out in your story. Thank you for your testimony!
I cant thank you enough for your great reflection. I so appreciate your insights.