From the Acts of the Apostles, we know that with Jesus’ return to the Father, the believers start to experience the persecution that Jesus predicts in the Gospel reading. Matthew’s Christian community, believed to be living in Syria, would come in conflict with the Roman authorities there, as they would not join in public worship of the deified emperor and of pagan divinities. They would also be in conflict with the Jewish authorities, as can be deduced from Jesus’ conflict with the scribes and the Pharisees in chapter 23 of Matthew’s Gospel.

Paul describes how the Gospel was seen by unbelievers: “Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” But for those who understand the mystery of Jesus’ self-offering on the cross, those who are called to faith—Jews and Gentiles alike—Christ [crucified] is “the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor 1:22-24).

As Acts recounts, the Apostles are able to withstand calumny and persecution because they have received the Holy Spirit who comes to their defense, again as promised by Jesus. They even feel privileged to suffer beatings and imprisonment for the sake of Jesus’ name. They would rather obey God than human beings (the religious authorities who forbid them to speak of Jesus).

Jesus said to his Apostles: “Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves. But beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say. You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will hand over brother to death, and the father his child; children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.

You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. Amen, I say to you, you will not finish the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”