Read Matthew 10:24-39

Read Matthew 10:24-39

24 “No pupil is greater than his teacher; no slave is greater than his master. ²⁵So a pupil should be satisfied to become like his teacher, and a slave like his master. If the head of the family is called Beelzebul, the members of the family will be called even worse names!

26 “So do not be afraid of people. Whatever is now covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. ²⁷What I am telling you in the dark you must repeat in broad daylight, and what you have heard in private you must announce from the housetops. ²⁸Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather be afraid of God, who can destroy both body and soul in hell. ²⁹For only a penny you can buy two sparrows, yet not one sparrow falls to the ground without your Father’s consent. ³⁰As for you, even the hairs of your head have all been counted. ³¹So do not be afraid; you are worth much more than many sparrows!

32 “For those who declare publicly that they belong to me, I will do the same before my Father in heaven. ³³But if anyone rejects me publicly, I will reject him before my Father in heaven.

34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the world. No, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵I came to set sons against their fathers, daughters against their mothers, daughters-in-law against their mothers-in-law; ³⁶your worst enemies will be the members of your own family.

37 “Those who love their father or mother more than me are not fit to be my disciples; those who love their son or daughter more than me are not fit to be my disciples. ³⁸Those who do not take up their cross and follow in my steps are not fit to be my disciples. ³⁹Those who try to gain their own life will lose it; but those who lose their life for my sake will gain it. 

Think

This is a really hard gospel reading.  It helps to start from verse 16 of chapter 10.  The disciples will be persecuted, they will suffer for believing in and preaching Jesus.

Jesus tells them to take comfort in knowing that their life is with God - God loves them, and they can hope in the resurrection.

The difficulty of this passage is it goes against our own self interest; it goes against our culture and tells us to trust in God more than ourselves, our families, our power.

Pray

God, help me to trust you enough to offer my whole life in your service.

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24  10.24 a: Lk 6:40
10.24 b: Jn 13:16; 15:20

²⁵ 10.25: Mt 9:34; 12:24; Mk 3:22; Lk 11:15

26  10.26: Mk 4:22; Lk 8:17

³³ 10.33: 2 Ti 2:12

³⁵ 10.35, 36: Mic 7:6

³⁶ 10.35, 36: Mic 7:6

³⁸ 10.38: Mt 16:24; Mk 8:34; Lk 9:23

³⁹ 10.39: Mt 16:25; Mk 8:35; Lk 9:24; 17:33; Jn 12:25

^[1] American Bible Society. (1992). The Holy Bible: The Good news Translation (2nd ed., Mt 10:24–39). New York: American Bible Society.