75. Hated but not perish
Luke 21:17, 18 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish.
The promise follows a prediction: you will be hated, but not a hair of your head will perish. We can understand the truth of being hated for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ; many times Christians experience mocking or ignoring for no reason that they can discern other than they believe in Jesus Christ. We do not see that this is true of “all men;” this may be hyperbole, but we can believe the words of Jesus, that all men hate us, even though we do not experience this hatred from everyone. Many unbelievers treat us kindly on the outside, but inwardly hatred may be present even if it is unconscious. Thus we know that hatred may subconsciously be present, though hidden, in the heart of every unbeliever. This should not really be so hard to believe since hatred is one of those characteristics that reside inside of every sinner, whether it always shows itself or not.
Jesus says, “Ignore the hatred; don’t fight it, just expect it. But fear not those who can harm the body, for you will surely not perish; you will not even lose a hair of your head. Of course, you will lose hair, but it will not be because of the world’s hatred.” It is Jesus’ hyperbolic way of saying, “Don’t worry, you can’t get finally or eternally hurt.” That you will not perish is the opposite of having eternal life. “Perish” means more than just die; it means to die eternally. Not even a hair will be eternally destroyed. This promise may also mean that in eternity we will have a full head of hair once again and not one will be lost. It is way of saying that in the resurrection full and complete bodily parts will be present with perfect health, that is, all the functions of the body will be operating at full health and strength, forever.
Extrapolating this promise, together will all Biblical promises, asserts that believers in Jesus will never be eternally harmed or suffer loss, for not only will we not die, but also a full, rich and abundant life will be enjoyed world without end. Therefore, don’t sweat the small stuff; and it’s all small stuff. “Don’t worry, be happy” is more than a silly song; it is a trustworthy Biblical admonition.