you will be brought before kings and governors. This will be your opportunity to bear
witness.
So keep this in mind: do not worry in advance about what to say, for I will give you words
and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict.
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and some of
you will be put to death. But even though, because of my name, you will be hated by
everyone, not a hair of your head will perish. By your patient endurance you will save your
souls.
Reflect
In the first reading, the handwriting in the wall tells the king that he has been judged and found
wanting. His failures will cost him his kingdom. Judgment can be a scary concept. Like the king,
we fear being weighed, measured, and found wanting when we face God’s judgment at the
end of our lives. We do not face the loss of a kingdom but the loss of eternal life.
By what standard will we be measured? The Gospel tells us. We will be judged by our witness
and our perseverance. Our witness includes how we live what we believe. Being a witness
requires perseverance, making a daily choice to take up our crosses and follow after Jesus. We
follow Jesus by pouring out our lives in loving service of our brothers and sisters. If we see
Christ in the people we meet and treat them as we would treat him, we will be good witnesses.
May we not be found wanting when we are measured.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023