Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. 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.

--Parallel verses:
‭‭Mark‬ ‭13‬:‭12‬-‭27‬
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that this will not take place in winter, because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again. “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. “But in those days, following that distress, “ ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’ “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

A long, but important read today. Here are the points I think Jesus is making:

1. He was treated poorly by this world. So will we be. Expect it. Anticipate it. But don’t dwell on it. Draw close to God so you can act in a way that honors him in trials.
2. Keep in mind the important mission you have of spreading the gospel and making disciples. Don’t be afraid of running when appropriate. The apostle Paul, at times, stood up to evil, but at other times stole away in the middle of the night or avoided cities altogether.
3. God will not allow this hard time at the end of the age to continue forever, but he will send Jesus to rescue us. And he will not allow our current trials in life to extend to the point of being unbearable.  We have the help of his Spirit and his Church. “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬)

Overall, my approach is “When the going gets tough, the tough go to God and pray more.” Smart sheep draw closer to the shepherd when under attack. Anticipate persecution and trials. Live as a light in tough times. Rely on the power of God.

Lord, thank you for these passages. They reveal a glimpse of the end of days. And they strongly encourage us to draw close to you and be prepared for these challenging times. Thank you for always being right by my side through all the ups and downs of life!