Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. (Mt 10:21-22)

You won’t find this verse on a Hallmark card . . . but the question comes, why did a Christian community preserve this particular saying of Jesus? It must have reflected the real life situation of people in that community. I remember the shortest sermon I ever heard. It was about this passage: You will be hated by all because of my name. The young preacher got up and asked, “Why don’t they hate us anymore? And then sat down. It’s still a good question. Because if we stand with those that Jesus stands with . . . well, we will be hated by everyone.

The photo today is Christ of the Breadlines by Fritz Eichenberg (1950).