Jesus continues his warnings about the coming times but now he is speaking to his own disciples of what they can expect because they are his followers. Like Jesus himself, they will be "handed over" to people who will want to get rid of them for just one reason - "because of my Name." Simply as Christians, their ideas seen as threatening and even subversive. But they are not to worry. When the time comes, they will know what to do. This promise has been vindicated again and again - including in our own times. What is sad is that those who will hand them over may be their very own - "parents, brothers, relatives and (so-called) 'friends'". Again, this prophecy sadly has been realised all too often. "All will hate you because of me." How strange! Jesus who preached truth, love, freedom, peace, justice and non-violence becomes, in his followers, the object of lies, hatred, imprisonment and torture, division, injustice and the most terrible violence. Their bodies may be destroyed but they will live on. Let us pray that we may have the courage to be true to our Christian values whatever the cost. Let us not be surprised that our faith and our religion can create such anger and such hostility. At the same time, we continue to reach out in truth and love. We are only a threat to false values but we must try to help people see where real truth and goodness lie. And we do that by living it out in our own lives.