2026 Epiphany Devotions
Monday, January 26
Festival of the Conversion of St. Paul
Luke 21:10-19
10 [Jesus] said to [the disciples,] “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom;11 there will be great earthquakes and in various places famines and plagues, and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14 So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, 15 for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By your endurance you will gain your souls.”
“… You will be betrayed even by parents and siblings, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death …”
I recently finished reading a biography of German theologian and pastor, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas) In it, he relates the saga of Bonhoeffer’s life leading up to and during the Nazi regime during the nineteen thirties and forties. What’s particularly telling about his story, and that of many German Christians during that time, is how family members, friends, and neighbors betrayed their kinfolk to the authorities. Interestingly, what motivated many of them to betray others was a combination of loyalty to and fear of the German state. Apparently, Jesus’ words were not too far off even two millennia later.
Sometimes, we get the feeling that God is absent from such situations. Out of fear or loyalty, many do and say that which they know to be wrong, unjust, or cruel. It was certainly the case with followers of Jesus in the first century. It is also true in our society today. Too often, while seeking to do the “right thing”, we actually cause harm, injury, and perhaps even death to others.
That is why Jesus calls us to faithfulness to God alone. Rather than fear, we respond with faith. Rather than loyalty to the civil authorities, we respond with loyalty to God. Rather than hatred, animosity, and prejudice, we respond with love, justice, and inclusion. Rather than death, we offer life. Rather than despair, we live in hope. Like Bonhoeffer, our trust is in God alone.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Inspire me to follow his example of faithfulness, hope, and trust in the face of difficult times and challenging situations both in our personal lives and in the greater society. Amen.