Matthew 10:34-39

Matthew 10:34-39

Do not regard it true that I came to cast peace upon the earth.  I did not come to bring peace but rather a sword.  For I came to cause rebellion in a man against his father and a daughter against her mother and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.  And the enemies of a man are his own household.  The one who loves father or mother above me is not worthy of me.  And the one who does not take up his cross and follow behind me is not worthy of me.  And the one who finds his life will lose it; and the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

I am willing to bet that Matthew 10:34 is on the list of top 10 things that Jesus said that we like to ignore.  Jesus is clear here.  He says that He did not come to bring peace but rather a sword.  Now, let’s get something straight.  Christians – especially modern Christians – want to paint Jesus as a person who came to bring world peace.  We want to think that if the world just became Christian that we would all get along.  That’s equivalent to saying that if we all just quit sinning we’d have a perfect world.  While absolutely true, it’s not going to happen.  Jesus came to bring peace between God and mankind.  That’s where the peace that Jesus brings exists.  Of course, those who are following God will have peace with others who are following God.  But nowhere does Jesus ever make the claim that those who are following God will be at peace with the rest of the world.  In fact, here He makes His point quite clear.  If we are following God, we will be at odds with the world.

How do you react to these words of Jesus?  Do you experience friction when you act upon faith in the world?

Second Thought:

As if that wasn’t enough, Jesus takes it another step above.  Anyone who loves his own family more than Jesus is not worthy of Him.  That’s a very deep saying.  Modern people – as our communities are breaking apart – cling incredibly tightly to the idea of family.  Don’t get me wrong, having a network of support is necessary to get through life – and family can absolutely play a role in that!  But the truth is that no human relationship should be more important to us than our relationship with God.  Jesus isn’t saying that family – or friends who act like family – are bad at all.  But He is saying, much like God says as He began the 10 Commandments with Moses, that He expects to be first.  If we want to know salvation through the cross into eternal life, He expects to be first.

Is God first in your life?  How do you know that answer?

Third Thought:

As if Jesus hasn’t challenged us enough here in this passage, Jesus then gives us the coup de grace at the end.  If we don’t pick up our cross and get behind Him, we aren’t worthy.  If we find our life, we lose.  In other words, if we live our life seeking our own desires then we have no place in the kingdom of God.  If we pick up our cross – that is, if we crucify ourselves with Christ and embrace God’s agenda for our lives – then we have a place with Him in the kingdom.  The only way to find our life eternally in Christ is to live a life of willingness to lose it here.  We need to chase after what God desires for us, not what we desire for ourselves.

What are you pursuing in this life?  Is that God’s desire for you or your desire for yourself?  How do you know?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 10:40-42