Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ (Ro 1:7). Amen.
Perhaps it depends on who you are. Possibly it differs with each of you. But have you ever thought of what the majority of your communication is? Is it in person or through devices? In other words, is it face-to-face talking or phone-to-phone texting? Finally we have both. And both have their place and their purpose.
But is there a disadvantage to what is written as opposed to what is spoken? At times. So that someone understands our humorous tone in a message, we include an appropriate emoji or additional “j/k” (“just kidding”). If we type an email, there is bold print or all-caps for emphasis. (You can argue if that is stressing the point or screaming at the person.)
We have Jesus’ spoken word in the written Word. There are times when what he says is easy to get. Like “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). God loved. God gave. God saved. It is simple. And straightforward.
Then there are those instances when what he states is harder to grasp. It takes a bit more effort and energy to digest. (Good thing that we have it in black and white or red and white to go back to reread and rethink.) What we have to chew on is more along those lines. As Jesus talks and Matthew transcribes, we listen in to Jesus’ words as Jesus describes a worthy disciple in a series of statements. He wants to encourage us, not discourage us.
Jesus is wrapping up his instruction to the 12 as he gets them ready for their mini-preaching tour among their own people. As he commissions them, they were to heal the sick and preach the Gospel (Mt 10:7,8). The final terms are realistic and specific, if not shocking and revealing.
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Mt 10:34). More than likely we sit up a bit straighter when that crosses our ears. “What is that, Jesus?” Jesus’ reason for coming to this earth was to restore peace—peace between us and God. Sin destroyed that bond. Instead of harmony, there was hostility. But Jesus died on the cross. Jesus rose from the dead. Our guilt is gone. Our rescue is real. Now the “prince of peace” gives peace as a gift (Is 9:6; Jn 14:27). Jesus established that peace and we enjoy it. As the apostle Paul put it: we are now “dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Ro 6:11). It is baptism that connects us to Christ’s death and resurrection. He demands nothing from us and delivers everything to us. We might label it a “vertical peace.”
Jesus is referencing a “horizontal peace”—between believers and unbelievers. And those are the only two categories that people fall into. There is a clear-cut division—for him or against him. It is one or the other, no in between. And sadly there will be friction between the two (Ge 3:15). That has been going on a long time. And it will continue. Even, as Jesus mentions, possibly in one’s own family (cf. Mi 7:6): “For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household’” (Mt 10:35).
That could play out in different, sad scenarios. A father believes in the one true God and his son belittles him. A daughter is regular in worship while her mother is reluctant to attend. A mother-in-law is at odds with her daughter-in-law, not because of how she cleans, but what she confesses about her sin and her Savior. Where Jesus is not at the center of the house, there will be strife in that house—even to the point of enemies. We might be tempted to hide our faith, rather than highlight it. Or we downplay sin instead of denouncing it.
Not even natural attachments are not to interfere or inhibit. “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). It is not as if Jesus is like a jealous boyfriend. He is not against normal ties—sons respecting fathers and daughters revering mothers, fathers caring for and mothers cuddling children. He had a mother whom he loved. The key is the comparison—“more than,” in the sense of “over and above.” The Fourth Commandment is still in force: “Honor your father and mother.” But the First Commandment is foremost: “You shall have no other gods.” Our fear, love, and trust in God are to surpass everyone and everything (Ex 20:3; Mt 22:37). Love for God is primary, not secondary. Jesus does not stand for equal billing like costars in a movie (Is 42:8). That is Jesus’ description of a worthy disciple.
And he continues: “And anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:38). Jesus’ cross that he would pick up is down the road a bit. But the disciples knew what crucifixion entailed when the Romans condemned a person to that instrument of torture. There was intense suffering and that lead to eventual death. So it was for those men and us. Along with them, we can expect persecution and pain as we go after Christ. When we acknowledge Jesus (Mt 10:32), we anticipate that there might be those who mock us for our different language, not cursing or swearing. Or there are those who will make fun of us for our different lifestyle, contributing our money to the work of the church and spending time to care for the church. The cross may not be small or convenient. Maybe it means giving up an hour in front of the TV to be in God’s Word—not just on a Sunday, but any weekday. But it is specific and comprehensive as we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus (2 Pe 3:18).
And Jesus adds that it is not halfway, but all the way. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 10:39). At first that seems like a contradiction. It is not. If life on earth with all of its expensive accommodations and exotic vacations is the be all and end all, that will be all and not end well. It is not that those things are wrong. They are not to be our priority. But when we find joy in our right relationship with God through Jesus, we have the good life right now and forever. We can sing with the psalmist: “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness” (Ps 89:15,16).
Jesus concludes his conversation with a reminder about the reaction as the 12 head out. They were to faithful like Jeremiah, even in the face of opposition like he encountered with Hananiah (Je 28:5-9). They were to proclaim peace, peace through Jesus. Some would reject; some would rejoice. “He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward” (Mt 10:40-42). This is not a reward for service rendered. Salvation is a gift. This is a reward of grace. Those who welcomed God’s devoted disciples—even by simple actions like a refreshing drink—would share in what they had—the comfort of knowing that sin is removed and that heaven is reserved. That is how Jesus describes a worthy disciple. It is not dependent on us, but on him. It is not to get something because he has given us everything.
It doesn’t matter if you are with somebody or write to somebody to communicate. As long as you are clear. Your words are to be helpful, not hurtful. Especially when it comes to conveying what it means to be a listener and learner of Christ—a disciple. We don’t have to come up with that on our own. Jesus describes a worthy disciple. We have peace in life on earth and into eternity as we put God first—ahead of all people and along with all people.
We read from Matthew 10:34-42:
34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35 For I have come to turn
“ ‘a man against his father,
a daughter against her mother,
a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40 He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Ro 15:4). Amen.
July 16, 2017
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