Matthew 10:34-42
“‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
“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; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
“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.” — Matthew 10:34-42
Instructions:
- Read the passage
- Read the devotional
- Spend time in prayer
- Leave a comment
Jesus came to seek and save the lost, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, to teach people of the Kingdom of God, and to present the truth that no one is good enough for God but that people could have a relationship with God through Jesus himself. It’s the last part of the message that many have difficulty with, and it’s that last part of the message that has the potential to divide families. The message that Jesus is the only way to God is divisive no matter how you look at it, and any divisive message has the potential to divide even families.
In fact, Jesus is saying these words as an encouragement to his followers. You see, in this section where Jesus is challenging his followers and speaking words of truth that alleviate fear, he has to address one of the major fears people have when coming to him. “What will my coming to Jesus do to my family?” There are some people who know that coming to Jesus will create a rift in their family, and they have to make the tough decision of whether their family is more important than Jesus or vice versa.
Jesus makes it clear that this kind of decision is par for the course when it comes to knowing him. Don’t be afraid to make this decision in Jesus’ favor. If you are sharing your faith with someone, don’t worry about being the person who might disrupt their family dynamic. If you are the person making the decision, don’t worry about being the person who disrupts your own family dynamic. We are each accountable to God as individuals not as families.
But of course, Jesus doesn’t throw these words out there for us to fret over them. He speaks some encouragement to us too by telling us that those who are willing to lose even their own life for Jesus will find true life. It’s almost as if he is saying, “Whatever you may lose for me will be returned to you in truer fashion.” Additionally, he makes the promise that doing even the smallest thing to honor Jesus and care for his followers will guarantee a heavenly reward. How much greater a reward will one receive who makes a great sacrifice like the loss of his own life!
BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: Do not fear what you may lose or give up in knowing Jesus and making him known; he has the resources to replace it and reward you.
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Matthew 10:16-33
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven. — Matthew 10:16-33
What great encouraging words those must have been for the newly identified apostles! “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” That’s like a high school football coach sending in his offense against the Chicago Bears defense and saying, “I’m sending you in there to be killed and devoured. Go to it!”
What’s the deal with Jesus sending his followers out into dangerous water without years of training? After all, doesn’t he know that winning someone to faith often takes months of arguing the truth of the Bible and wearing the other person down with niceness etc.?
Sure, it’s frightening, but it is also one of the most encouraging sets of verses. Check out these promises Jesus gives to offset the effects of fear:
- The Father, through the presence of the Holy Spirit will tell you what to say during times of stress. (Don’t be afraid of being put to the verbal test by an examiner of the faith or your life.)
- There will be great stress over Jesus (they aren’t alone), but those who stand firm through the end will be saved.
- God can see anything that anyone does against you.
- God is the judge and the only one to fear, but he loves us enough to know the hairs on our head.
- If we acknowledge Christ before men, he will acknowledge us before the Father.
Are you afraid of talking to people about your faith? Jesus promises that words will be given to you in the moment you need them. Are you worried about failing in the faith? Jesus promises that simply standing firm to the end will result in salvation.
Other applications can be made, but here is your big idea for the day.
BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: We have no one to fear but God himself, and he loves us intimately.
Matthew 10:1-16
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. — Matthew 10:1-16
Not long after Jesus identifies his “Twelve” as unique among all his followers, he gives them the identity of “apostles” (sent out ones) and then sends them out to the nearby towns to do what? To heal the sick and cast out demons! Not only that, but he also expects them to simply live off the generosity of those who will hear their message!
On Sunday, we talked about how fear is a major hindrance in our spiritual growth and how faith is the key to alleviating it if not defeating it altogether, but as I look at this passage, I can’t help but think about all the fear this would create in me. Sure, it’s great to see Jesus do miracles, but we aren’t even halfway through the book of Matthew, in fact, just a couple chapters past the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus is telling his followers to preach, heal, and cast out demons and to live as homeless moochers! I just can’t fully grasp that.
Even if Jesus looked me in the eye and said, “Jeff, this boy has a demon. Cast it out.” I would stammer over my words and think two or three times before even attempting it, but here, they will be doing it all ON THEIR OWN without Jesus by their side.
Of course there are potentially a dozen or more lessons to take from this, but one lesson is that Jesus will quite frequently call us to take on tasks beyond our ability to prove the all surpassing power he has to work through us. Paul calls it the “Jars of Clay” principle in that great things coming out of weak people point to an awesome God.
Is there something Jesus is calling you to do but you are a little afraid to jump into it? Is he calling you to finally make a commitment to him? To be baptized? To volunteer to help at the church? To join a small group study? To propose to the girl? To break up? To share your faith?
What is it? If Jesus is calling you to do something, it’s because he wants to stretch you and prove his power. Why not give it a shot and see what happens? Oh, and a word of warning. Perhaps you should consult with a few other believers to make sure it really is something Jesus is calling you to do!!
BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: We have no reason to fear doing whatever Jesus asks of us because he has a purpose in it whether we can see it or not.
Matthew 5:1-20
When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”
Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. — Mark 5:1-20
For years, this man had lived alone in the caves. No one related to him, and his family had basically disowned him, so when Jesus healed him, he had nowhere to go really and all the time in the world. So he asks to follow Jesus, but Jesus tells him instead to go home and share with others all that has been done for him.
Jesus has forgiven my sin and healed my soul, but he hasn’t taken me to heaven yet. Why? Because there are people here who need to hear my story. The same goes for you.
How much has the Lord done for you? How has he shown mercy to you? Who besides you knows the answer to those questions?
For your devotional time today, how about you count God’s blessings to you by making a couple lists?
List #1: Spend 5 minutes writing down all the things God has done for you and all the ways he has shown mercy to you.
List #2: Write down all the people you know who don’t know those things about you.
Finally: In prayer, commit to schedule a time with one person from List #2 to share with them at least one thing from list #1 or even to show them the whole list!
Mark 4:35-40
Three points to notice in this section:
- Jesus connects fear with a lack of faith. “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” It’s almost as if Jesus is saying, if you had faith you wouldn’t be so afraid.
- Jesus rebukes the weather before he rebukes his disciples. Apparently, he knew that the most loving thing for them was to deal with the immediate cause of their fear before attempting to actually deal with the deeper root. Then, when the rebuke of the weather comes, it’s a simple “Quiet! Be still.” No fanfare or coersion here. Jesus simply says it, and it comes to pass.
- Jesus had originally said, “Let us go to the other side.” He did not say, “Let us go into the middle of the lake and die in a seething torrent of waves before reaching the other side.”
Ultimately, the way to answer our fears is to claim the truth of God:
- What has God said about this situation or anything like it?
- Who is in charge and where is he?
- Does he care?
Each of these is a profoundly deep question, but the final question is the easiest to explain and the hardest to fully grasp.
Does God care for you? Yes, after all, he sent his son to die for you. He loves you a great deal, and he can be trusted to keep loving you.
BIG IDEA FOR THE DAY: With all his great authority, Jesus is aligning himself with us for our protection and our growth!
