Concord Minute: Endurance to the end

“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations… And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” - Mark 13:9-10, 13 ESV

In these gray and latter days, you and I at times can fixate on the end of all things out of fear or discomfort. Enduring to the end isn’t as easy as it seems. In fact, some in our media make it seem like today is the end of all things. Everything is sensationalized anymore for ratings, for money. Your emotions are being played so that money can be made off of you. Whether it’s so-and-so getting in the office (and thus bringing about the destruction of the whole world); whether so-and-so will be the savior of our nation; or, whether putting people in place over us to save us, you and I, especially over the last few months, even the last year, have been enduring the end times: Is the world actually going to end? Is the church really going to be undermined here? What does Jesus have to say about all this? Endure to the end.

Let’s keep Jesus in context with that statement. The one who endures to the end will be saved, for sure. But enduring what? What Jesus means here is persecution, and yet you a“But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations… And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” - Mark 13:9-10, 13 ESV

In these gray and latter days, you and I at times can fixate on the end of all things out of fear or discomfort. Enduring to the end isn’t as easy as it seems. In fact, some in our media make it seem like today is the end of all things. Everything is sensationalized anymore for ratings, for money. Your emotions are being played so that money can be made off of you. Whether it’s so-and-so getting in the office (and thus bringing about the destruction of the whole world); whether so-and-so will be the savior of our nation; or, whether putting people in place over us to save us, you and I, especially over the last few months, even the last year, have been enduring the end times: Is the world actually going to end? Is the church really going to be undermined here? What does Jesus have to say about all this? Endure to the end.

Let’s keep Jesus in context with that statement. The one who endures to the end will be saved, for sure. But enduring what? What Jesus means here is persecution, and yet you and I really don’t have that big of a persecution presence in our lives. The persecutions you and I experience are mostly being thought of as a loser. Nobody wants to be a loser in 21st-century America. We fear losing social credibility or financial opportunities, thereby otherwise being called losers of society. Our persecutions are of our own doing: we have a great fear of missing out. We have a great fear of missing out on life and wealth if we choose to put our kids in something God-related over another.

The persecutions we experience now might look like the fear of losing a promotion or we might fear missing out on the glory of being seen as “winners” in society. Our persecution today is the great fear of being a loser. Our persecutions really amount to the fear of losing out on dollars and cents or missing out on the American Dream. Ironically, the church’s attempts to “win” at life might come at the cost of her very salvation. How many of us would rather make sure that we are financially free than endure to the end clinging tightly to Jesus as “losers” of society? Are we truly winners if we have lost our salvation? Are we truly winners if God rejects us for faithlessness to the end?

Thanks be to God that just like those who made sure that the gospel was proclaimed to all nations before us like Peter, James, John and Andrew, you and I have been given the opportunity and the invitation to endure to the end with Jesus right there with us. May we all endure being seen as “losers” in society’s eye but truly “winners” in God’s sight for Christ’s sake.

The Rev. Matthew Berry is pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston, Missouri. Based in Sikeston’s Historic North End, Concordia is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), a theologically conservative, biblically sound, Christ-centered church. nd I really don’t have that big of a persecution presence in our lives. The persecutions you and I experience are mostly being thought of as a loser. Nobody wants to be a loser in 21st-century America. We fear losing social credibility or financial opportunities, thereby otherwise being called losers of society. Our persecutions are of our own doing: we have a great fear of missing out. We have a great fear of missing out on life and wealth if we choose to put our kids in something God-related over another.

The persecutions we experience now might look like the fear of losing a promotion or we might fear missing out on the glory of being seen as “winners” in society. Our persecution today is the great fear of being a loser. Our persecutions really amount to the fear of losing out on dollars and cents or missing out on the American Dream. Ironically, the church’s attempts to “win” at life might come at the cost of her very salvation. How many of us would rather make sure that we are financially free than endure to the end clinging tightly to Jesus as “losers” of society? Are we truly winners if we have lost our salvation? Are we truly winners if God rejects us for faithlessness to the end?

Thanks be to God that just like those who made sure that the gospel was proclaimed to all nations before us like Peter, James, John and Andrew, you and I have been given the opportunity and the invitation to endure to the end with Jesus right there with us. May we all endure being seen as “losers” in society’s eye but truly “winners” in God’s sight for Christ’s sake.

The Rev. Matthew Berry is pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church in Sikeston, Missouri. Based in Sikeston’s Historic North End, Concordia is a member congregation of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), a theologically conservative, biblically sound, Christ-centered church.