Jesus exposes the Twelve to conflict

The plot thickens. As Jesus’ training of His disciples continued, He alerted His men to the reality of the hostility they would encounter. They had seen how Jesus Himself faced His critics, but they had not yet incorporated that reality into their thinking and responses. In the Sermon on the Mount (see Matt. 5-7), Jesus had clearly spoken of those who were persecuted for the sake of righteousness; then He tacked on that this kind of treatment was not new to the true followers of the kingdom.

Remember, Jesus’ view and teaching of the kingdom was radically different from what the Jews were looking for, and that included His own men. Thus far, they had not picked up this true kingdom orientation.

Have we given new members instruction on how to handle opposition to the gospel? That there is opposition can hardly be debated. But how are we handling it? And are we taking advantage of it? Remember the adage: ...