“And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 21:16 Mean?
"Ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death." Jesus warns His followers that the betrayal will come from the closest relationships: parents, siblings, relatives, and friends. Not from strangers. Not from obvious enemies. From family. From friends. From the people you trust most.
The four categories — parents, brethren, kinsfolks, friends — cover every type of close relationship. Family by authority (parents), family by blood (siblings), family by extension (relatives), and chosen relationships (friends). Every circle of intimacy is compromised. No relationship is automatically safe.
The phrase "some of you shall they cause to be put to death" adds lethal consequence to relational betrayal. The family members and friends don't just report you — they contribute to your execution. The betrayal isn't informational; it's fatal.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Which of your close relationships is most tested by your faith?
- 2.How do you prepare for potential betrayal by people you love?
- 3.Why does following Jesus create a fault line through every relationship?
- 4.What does it mean to love people who might betray you for your faith?
Devotional
Parents will betray you. Siblings will betray you. Relatives will betray you. Friends will betray you. And some of them will get you killed.
Jesus doesn't soften this. He lists every category of close relationship and says: expect betrayal from all of them. Not from enemies you can see coming. From family you trusted. From friends you loved. From the inner circle that should have been your last line of defense.
The comprehensiveness is the shock: parents, siblings, relatives, AND friends. Every category. Every level of intimacy. Jesus isn't warning about one compromised relationship — He's warning about the potential compromise of every relationship. Following Him creates a fault line that runs through every connection you have.
The lethal dimension — 'cause to be put to death' — means the betrayal isn't just emotional. It's existential. The people closest to you won't just be disappointed in your faith. Some of them will actively participate in your destruction. They'll inform on you. They'll provide evidence. They'll contribute to the machinery of your persecution.
This has been the experience of believers in every era: the convert whose family disowns them. The believer whose community reports them. The faithful person whose closest friend becomes their most dangerous enemy. Jesus doesn't promise that faith protects your relationships. He promises it will cost some of them.
Which relationships in your life are tested by your faith? And are you prepared for the cost Jesus describes?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
In your patience, possess ye your souls. By patiently bearing all afflictions, reproaches, indignities, and…
The account of the destruction of Jerusalem contained in this chapter has been fully considered in the notes at Matt.…
See here, I. With what admiration some spoke of the external pomp and magnificence of the temple, and they were some of…
ye shall be betrayed In consequence of the disunions prophesied in Luk 1:34; Luk 12:53; Mat 10:21.
some of you of the…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture