Continuing from yesterday’s passage, Jesus now speaks of the coming persecution of those faithful to Him (Lk 21:12-19).  He tells His followers that they will be handed over, seized, persecuted, and even killed.  They will be hated by all.  They will stand trial and be given wisdom by Jesus Himself to refute their judges (see above).  Regardless of what happens, by perseverance they will be saved.  In a day and age that is becoming more and more adversarial toward people of faith, we will likely increasingly find ourselves in positions where we are asked (and maybe even forced) to defend our beliefs.  It may well happen soon — one can argue that the time is actually at hand — that Christians will have to get off the fence regarding their faith and either make a stand for it or completely compromise it.  For those who persevere, Jesus does not promise an easy go of it.  Even those closest to the faithful may turn against them and expose them to the devices of their antagonists.  It is at this time especially that the eloquence of truth that comes from the Truth (Jn 14:6) will be ours.  But we must be completely open for the gifts of the Holy Spirit by eliminating that which blocks grace (i.e., sin).  Ridicule, persecution, imprisonment, or even death will not sway us if we have the truth, expressing it “whether it is convenient or inconvenient” (2 Tim 4:2), because the promise of eternal life for our witness (in Greek: martyr) is ours.