Reading: Matthew 10
Scripture: "Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between you and your families (paraphrased) - cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. (MATTHEW 10:34, MSG) If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. (MATTHEW 10:38, MSG) - Jesus to His twelve disciples
Scripture: "Don't think I've come to make life cozy. I’ve come to cut—make a sharp knife-cut between you and your families (paraphrased) - cut through these cozy domestic arrangements and free you for God. (MATTHEW 10:34, MSG) If you don’t go all the way with me, through thick and thin, you don’t deserve me. (MATTHEW 10:38, MSG) - Jesus to His twelve disciples
The words of Jesus in this chapter truly surprised me, made me wonder and at some point, I feared and asked... "Will I really be able to get through all these, O Lord?" The Lord has enlightened me with yet another truth and took that fear away.
Another truth that should live and remain in our hearts for this truth will be the only thing we'll have left that cannot be taken away from us when the time comes that everything else is.
Another truth that should live and remain in our hearts for this truth will be the only thing we'll have left that cannot be taken away from us when the time comes that everything else is.
When Jesus sent out His 12 disciples to spread the Good News to the people of Israel (that "God's Kingdom is near!"), He's told them warnings (possible danger, risks and troubles) along the way that could have discouraged them and could have made them turn their backs. However, the words of encouragement and wisdom that Jesus spoke at the same time was even much stronger, and so they followed and went.
Hence, when Jesus tells us, "Go, my dear one, where I lead you...", He doesn't mean we go and feel rested, or go and be peaceful and trouble-free and have a better, cozy life. As Jesus Himself said, "Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace." - Matthew 10:34, ERV And I strongly believe it is true for if it was His purpose for coming, there would be no presence of trouble in every corner of the earth, not a single one, neither the absence of it in the lives of His followers for He definitely has the power to end all of it! You'd probably wonder, "... so, no peace at all?" And I say there's a truth behind it which has been revealed by the Lord Himself through His Word - He brings not the kind of peace that every man on earth desires which is "the peace of mind and heart in the absence of trouble". But it is "the peace of mind and heart in the presence of trouble". It is the kind of peace this world cannot give. Jesus said to His disciples in John 14:27, "... the peace I give isn’t fragile like the peace the world gives. So don’t be troubled or afraid." Quoting an excerpt from a book entitled "Jesus: Pure and Simple by Pastor Wayne Cordeiro, he described Jesus' peace as: "...the rest of a child close to his mother. It’s the rest that comes when we are near the one we love. It’s the rest we find when we are walking through unfamiliar surroundings with a guide who knows the way." What a great, awesome Good News, isn't it?
So when Jesus says, "Go, child where I lead you...", He means ... "Go child. Spread the Good News and let people know about Me ... but remember these things ...":
"MOCKERS AND BULLIES WILL BE AROUND YOU."
Mockers and bullies are the people who will refuse to welcome us in their hearts, who will not only reject us and what we'd have to say, but will make fun of us or throw sarcastic responses and comments at us and the message we'd bring and would even threaten us. These are people who would call us names. As Jesus declared, His followers will get the same treatment He received and would be called by worse names. "Since I, the Master of the Household have been called 'The Prince of Demons', the members of my household will be called by even worse names." - Matthew 10:25 Jesus then instructed His disciples: "If they don’t welcome you, quietly withdraw. Don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way. You can be sure that on Judgment Day they’ll be mighty sorry—but it’s no concern of yours now." - Matthew 10:12, MSG
"YOU'LL BE BROUGHT SOMEWHERE UNSAFE & DANGEROUS SURROUNDED BY 'WOLVES'."
Jesus warned His disciples and said, "Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack ..." - Matthew 10:16, MSG
I've learned about the one way on how a wolf hunts its prey - It is by "stalking". It attempts to conceal itself as it approaches the prey which when we apply to people would sound like this - People who wears mask to deceive and capture people they consider are their enemies. Pretension and disguise is what they're fairly good at. These are people who would probably act so kind and loving to us but deep inside, they harbor malicious thoughts against us and have impure motives that could destroy us if we are not careful. This is when the Lord forewarned His disciples, "Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove." - Matthew 10:16 Their mere intention is to smear our reputation and challenge our motives - Matthew 10:17-18, MSG. These are people we'll experience so much hate from despite proclaiming so much love that comes from the living God. They would always attempt to consume every bit of faith in us and our love for Jesus. But the Lord has encouraged us -- "... don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived." - Matthew 10:22-23, MSG
"THE PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOUR HEART, YOUR OWN FAMILY WILL BETRAY YOU. THEY WILL HURT YOU THE DEEPEST FOR HATING YOU AND TURNING ON YOU."
As written in the scripture above, Jesus has come to make a sharp knife-cut between families. And these things will happen: ‘Brothers will turn against their own brothers and hand them over to be killed. Fathers will hand over their own children to be killed. Children will fight against their own parents and will have them killed.’ - Matthew 10:21
These words are indeed strong and frightening to think and imagine. I can't imagine my own brother, daughter or my own father will betray me to be killed. It's all because of hating me. Most people will hate us for following Jesus. Well-meaning family members can be our worst enemies. However, the Lord's instruction is so clear - "Forget about ourselves." Forget our fears, our pains and agony. Deny ourselves of contentment, peace of mind, happiness, abundance, prosperity, and favor or pleasure of family members if all these things will only make us love Jesus less or forget Him along the way. For the Lord said, "If we care about our family more and love them more than we love Jesus, we are not worthy of Him. If we love our child more than we love Jesus, we am not worthy of Him. And if we can't go all the way with Him, through thick and thin, we don't deserve Him. - Matthew 10:38
To follow and deserve our Master, we should not refuse to take up these crosses.
- Mockers and bullies around us.
- People with evil intentions, threats and impure motives surrounding us.
- The hate and betrayal of our loved-ones.
And along the way, Jesus, the Prince of Peace will be with us, so we should not feel troubled or afraid.
Now He's saying, "Child, when you go out there to tell people about Me and My ways, you will be mocked by many, you will be doubted, threatened, called by names, hated and betrayed because you follow Me. You will experience all of these things during your walk with Me. But remember my child, I'll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age - Matthew 28:20, MSG."
Above all these, I don't think there can be anything more encouraging and 'spirit-lifting' than the fact that the Lord yearns for us so bad to belong with Him, to be all His (as stated in the key scripture above)! He sets you and me apart unto Himself, to be drawn near to Him.
PRAY WITH ME:
You called me, O Lord by my name and called me Yours and made me follow You. I'm not worthy of this but my heart rejoices, so much . Let not this joy depart from my heart but continue to overflow from it through Your Word especially when these days come.
O Lord, all these crosses that I'd have to carry on my shoulders, I ask that You may continue to remind me that I'm not carrying them all by myself ... That You will always be with me, You'll never leave me alone as You have always promised. Thank you, Father with all my heart for this confidence, for re-assuring me that I'm too valuable for You to be forsaken or abandoned.
May Your strength in me remain, and my faith in You grow and flourish as these things happen. I am lost without You, Jesus. As I get through all these, strengthen my faith O God, keeping the rejoicing of my heart, and my lips still singing Your praises through Your Word. May I remain in You, my Lord and Savior until the last days of my life. By Your grace, Your Name and Your ways will be known through me. May it be so, indeed dear Father in Heaven. Let Your glory be above all the earth! In Jesus' Name ... Amen.
RSS Feed