“And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.”
But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away — the rootlessness is the rocky-ground person's defining characteristic, and it only becomes visible under pressure. The shallow response looks exactly like a deep response until the pressure test reveals the difference. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word — the persecution is specifically because of the word, not general life difficulty. The word itself is the reason for the persecution: those who identify with the kingdom face the same opposition that Jesus faces. The shallow-rooted fall away quickly when this cost becomes apparent.
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