His Word Today

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever 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.” (Matthew 10:34–39 ESV)

“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The figure of speech known as oxymoron is when apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction. For example, “old news,” “deafening silence,” or “organized chaos.” My favorite oxymoron is “jumbo shrimp.” Delicious!  

Jesus provided an apparent oxymoron in Matthew 10:39. To find life means to lose it? To lose one’s life means you will find it? What did Jesus mean by these statements?

To find life (εὑρίσκω; heurisko) means to actively attain life valued by the fallen world. To pursue such a life, and its lifestyle, is to eventually actively lose (ἀπόλλυμι; apollymi) eternal life that is solely found in Christ. It is better to lose the life the world offers for the sake of Christ in order to really find and possess eternal life.

“The ultimate purpose of life is to show that Jesus is more precious than life,” explains Pastor John Piper.

How often do we see people in the media who pursue with abandonment all that this life has to offer? Tragically, those who pursue life and living by the fallen world’s standards, end up either disillusioned or dead. Individuals are told to take a fentanyl pill to experience a rush they’ve never before experienced, only to forfeit their life for the promised thrill.

“Jesus does not praise heedless thrill-seekers over golfers and bowlers. He would have us remember that however we craft our lives, every heart eventually fails and everybody dies,” explains commentator Daniel M. Doriani.

“Those who live for self-die twice and may never even live once. Those who die to self, die once and live twice, now and forever.”

Be a living oxymoron today.

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever 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.” (Matthew 10:34–39 ESV)

As the examination of today’s text continues, Jesus explained to the Twelve Apostles the significance of conflict within human relationships due to a sinner’s conversion to Christ. Conflict with friends and family because of an individual’s faith in Christ is because of their overwhelming love for Christ. This not only changes their relationship with God the Father, but also with fellow human beings.

Jesus said, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.” God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), is to be the primary love in our lives. All other relationships are secondary to the believer’s love for God. This should not alarm us for to love God preeminently results in believers in Christ loving others appropriately.

“Whoever loves family or personal peace and prosperity more than Jesus is not fit to be His disciple. When forced to choose between Jesus and any other joy or pleasure, a disciple at least intends to choose Jesus. We may falter and fail, but it is our heart’s desire to take up our cross and follow Jesus,” explains commentator Daniel M. Doriani.

Family discord because of the Gospel is particularly referred to in this context as taking up one’s cross and following Jesus. It is a task which disciples must accept afresh each day. It is undertaking the task of serving the Lord with an attitude of self-renunciation and God glorification.

“Here is Jesus’ first mention of the word “cross” to his disciples. To them it would have evoked a picture of a violent, degrading death. He was demanding total commitment from them—even unto physical death—and making this call to full surrender a part of the message they were to proclaim to others. This same call to life-or-death devotion to Christ is repeated in 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23; 14:27. For those who come to Christ with self-renouncing faith, there will be true and eternal life (Matt. 10:39),” explains Dr. John MacArthur.

What cross are you currently taking up as your follow and live for Christ? Have you been rejected by your unconverted friends? Are members of your family in conflict with you because of your faith in Christ? Have you encountered physical suffering and persecution due to your sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁴ “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. ³⁷ Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ And whoever 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.” (Matthew 10:34–39 ESV)

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child;
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to Thee. – Charles Wesley

Isn’t that how most of us think of Jesus. Gentle, meek and mild. Yet today’s text portrays a different impact Jesus would have upon not only individuals but also whole families.

Even though Jesus is identified as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), He clearly taught that He did not to come to bring peace to the earth. Rather, he came to bring a sword. The sword (μάχαιρα; machaira) literally means a dagger or large knife. Metaphorically, it refers to discord and the violence of war.

Jesus explained what He meant by this provocative statement. “³⁵ For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.”

“Jesus did not deny that peace would result from His work. He inaugurated the rule and reign of the kingdom of God; it is characterized by lasting peace, resulting in the destruction of God’s enemies, eradication of sin and its effects, and the presence of the salvation of God. But the road to this peace is not marked with tranquility. Instead, it is filled with division and conflict. This is what is meant by the term “sword.” Luke’s account makes this even more explicit as “sword” is replaced with “division” (Luke 12:51). Division is inevitable because Jesus and His kingdom message demand a response. While some welcome Jesus, many reject Him and His message, sometimes passionately. Conflict is expected because with Jesus comes a new kingdom. Meanwhile, the prince of this world does not sit idly by,” explains Rev. Joel E. Kim.

“Jesus calls upon His disciples to persevere. He prepared them for inevitable rejection and hostility. The response of the world to Jesus and His message of peace was anything but peaceful, and we who are His disciples today should not expect anything different. While the way of the cross is far from easy or worry-free, Jesus reminds His disciples that by losing they gain, and by dying they will live.”

Soli deo Gloria!

³² “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, ³³ but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32–33 (ESV)

As a child and teenager, I attended a Lutheran Church as did the rest of my family. Sunday worship services were liturgical in format and style. A lone organist, Mrs. Lieditch, provided musical accompaniment to the congregational singing of hymns from the Lutheran Hymnal; a copy of which I received as a Christmas present in 1965. I still have that hymnal in my office library. However, throughout those years I remained unconverted.  

It was not until my conversion to the Gospel, and subsequently attending a Baptist church, that I encountered a more extemporaneous and spontaneous worship service format. The pastor did not wear religious vestments or robes. The preaching was Gospel centered. While we at that time still used hymnals, they contained mostly Southern Gospel songs rather than classical hymns.

One feature of the service was the public invitation, or altar call, the pastor gave near the conclusion of each Sunday morning and evening service. It was the opportunity to receive Jesus Christ as one’s personal Savior and Lord by asking Him to come into your heart. The pastor asked for anyone to come forward to the front of the auditorium in order to do so.

The biblical credence and justification for this act was taken from today’s text. If you did not come forward you were not only failing to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, you were also denying Him. No mention was made of repentance. I came away with the impression that the single act of walking the aisle to the front of the sanctuary was crucial for your salvation in Christ. If you did not do so, you were not a believer in Christ.

This was a significant issue for me because I repented of my sin and received Christ as my Savior and Lord in my upstairs bedroom of my parent’s house. I never walked an aisle to the front of the auditorium in order to do so. Thereafter, I wondered if I was truly converted and whether I failed to acknowledge Christ but had instead denied Him. The counsel I received dismissed my concerns with the simple imperative to walk the aisle.

This troubled me. Was walking the sanctuary aisle indispensable to one’s conversion. If so, what about those who never did so? The response that, “If they could have, they would have” did not ring with biblical truth for me.  

I later came to understand that the public invitation to receive Christ is not explicitly found in Scripture but rather was developed by revivalist Charles Finney (1792-1875). He called it the Anxious Bench. It was one of his New Measures that supported the idea that conversion to Christ was not God sovereignly ordained but rather was/is solely a man-centered decision.

“Finney instituted the altar call, pleading during that prolonged service for sinners to come forward, kneel at the bench before the platform, confess their sins, and be saved. The New Measures were necessarily bound to Finney’s theology, which was also not only new but an intentional and decided departure from the Calvinism and from the doctrine of the sovereignty of God that dominated the First Great Awakening. Perhaps Benjamin B. Warfield best summed up Finney’s deficient theology when he observed that you could remove God from it and it would not change much of anything,” explains Dr. Stephen J. Nichols.

To acknowledge (ὁμολογέω; homologeo) means to profess, admit and declare Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. How is this to be done by someone walking an aisle and as an unconverted sinner who is then taken to a counseling room to become a converted saint?

The answer lies in the context of Jesus’ instructions to His apostles. Those who truly received the Gospel message of repentance of sin and faith in Christ would acknowledge and declare this reality before others. Those who remained unconverted would instead deny Christ. This acknowledgment would indicate if someone was a true believer or not. Rather than an invitation for the unbeliever to receive Christ, today’s text concerns the believer’s declaration of Christ.

Those who acknowledge Jesus Christ here on earth. Jesus Christ will acknowledge in heaven before God the Father. The opposite is true for those who deny Christ. This became the case with Judas Iscariot. While the other eleven apostles publically affirmed Christ as Savior and Lord, Judas, by his behavior, did not.

True conversion is by grace alone, through faith alone in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone; plus nothing. It is solely a work of the sovereign God. Even faith is a gracious gift (Eph. 2:1-9; Phil. 1:29; 2 Peter 1:1-2). Salvation is a sovereign act by God.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁹ “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. ³⁰ But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. ³¹ Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29–31 ESV)

For those of us who live north of the Equator, it is the summer season. It is the time of year of warm days, extended hours of daylight, outside activities, family vacations, and many other enjoyments. It is when God’s creative handiwork is once again on full display in all that surrounds us.  

Think of the birds of the air. Each morning at dawn, they sing a symphony of praise in the trees; from the distinctive call of the Cardinal to the melancholy sound by the Mourning Dove.

Jesus illustrated the believer’s trust in the One, True God of Creation and Covenant by the sparrow. Sparrows are common birds. They live in the depths of coal mines and in cavernous warehouses. In many cultures, sparrows are believed to symbolize joy, community, teamwork, protection, simplicity, hard work or self-worth. In Europe’s Middle Ages, sparrows were believed to represent peasants and the lower class. Sparrows are often viewed as worthless.

Jesus did not ignore this commonly held view of sparrows. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?” The answer to His rhetorical question would have been yes. They were worth no more than a Roman copper coin, which was 1/16 of a denarius (a day’s wages) in value. Sparrows were cheap.

“Sparrows were one of the cheapest items sold for poor people’s food in the marketplace, the cheapest of all birds. Two were here purchased for an Assarion, a small copper coin of little value (less than an hour’s work). Luke 12:6 seems to indicate that they were even cheaper if purchased in larger quantities,” explains commentator Craig Keener.

However, Jesus also said, “And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.” God the Father’s care of sparrows parallels His even greater care  of humans who He created in His image (Gen. 1:26-27). Today’s text parallels what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 6).  

The Lord intimately knows and cares for each of His children. God is in control of everything. This includes the fall of the sparrow to the number of hairs on our heads. He is sovereign. Therefore, we need not fear when facing persecution for the Gospel. As Jesus said, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

“It is surprising that in the middle of giving His disciples a crash course in gospel work—including prospects of bloodshed, betrayal, loneliness, and fear—Jesus suddenly brings up the topic of sparrows. Though they’re small, insignificant birds, not a single struggling fledgling is forgotten by the Father. Jesus tells the disciples, “You are of more value than many sparrows” (Matt. 10:31),” explains Dr. Tim Keesee.

“I’m sure the disciples never looked at sparrows the same way again, because in these unremarkable creatures is the remarkable reminder of God’s constant care for His people.”

Soli deo Gloria!  

²⁸ “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Matthew 10:28 ESV)

Jesus told the Twelve Apostles to not personally fear anyone who could physically hurt them. The Lord did not deny the possibility that these men could face martyrdom for the truth of the Gospel. The implication is clear for believers today.

Fear (φοβέω; phobeo) can mean to be alarmed or afraid. It is a feeling of dread, perhaps when facing physical death. The reason for the believer’s fearlessness in the reality of physical death for Christ is that the enemies of the Gospel cannot kill the believer’s soul. Their inner self is untouchable and inextinguishable.

⁶ “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, ⁷ for we walk by faith, not by sight. ⁸ Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. ⁹ So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.” (2 Corinthians 5:6–9 ESV)

“²⁰ as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. ²¹ For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”(Philippians 1:20–21 ESV)

⁶ “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸ Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.” (2 Timothy 4:6–8 (ESV)

Rather, Jesus warned the apostles, and us, to fear the One, True God who has the power and authority to condemn unrepentant sinners to hell; the eternal place of punishment. This is the fear of respect and worship. While believers in Christ are not to fear man, we are to fear God.

“The fear of man is not simply the fear of the harm that men may do to us. Surely the fear of harm partly drives our desire to be approved by men. However, most properly, the fear of man is, as (John) Bunyan put it, “the fear of losing man’s favor, love, goodwill, help, and friendship.” Simply put, it is “an idol of approval.” We seek to avoid persecution because of “idols of approval,” “comfort,” or “pleasure.” These idols lead us to compromise in order to gain approval—to give in to wickedness in order to gain acceptance and peace. It puts us in a vicious cycle of idolatry. Miserable though it is, the fear of man is the soul’s default setting,” explains Rev. Nicholas Batzig.

However, the fear of the Lord “is wisdom” (Job 28:28); “the beginning of knowledge” (Prov. 1:7); “hatred of evil” (8:13); “a fountain of life” (14:27); and “the whole duty of man” (Eccl. 12:13). The Prophet Isaiah called it a “treasure” (Isa. 33:6).

Who, or what, are you fearing today. It must not be man, or the culture of fallen man. Proper fear, respect and worship is to be centered in the One, True, Eternal God of the Scriptures. Have a God-fearing day.

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁶ “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.” (Matthew 10:26–27 (ESV)

Jesus stressed the importance of being fearless when facing harassment and persecution as a believer in Christ. He said to the Twelve Apostles to not be apprehensive or anxious about any situation or event they encountered when sharing the Gospel.

The Lord explained to the twelve that the reason they did not need to fear. It was because He would also be harassed and persecuted.

“Nothing would be done to his followers that had not been done to the Master, but his triumph is sure, and so is theirs. For adds a reason; none of the things people do in secret will remain secret. The plots of the Jewish hierarchy against Jesus (and of all their enemies against the disciples) are in secret, and thus the evil may be made to appear to be the good. But this is temporary. In the end everything will become public. Publicity is an advantage to the good, but it makes things harder for the evil, whose ways must be concealed if they are to be successful. Let the disciples, then, not be afraid but preach openly the things Jesus has committed to them,” explains commentator Leon Morris.

Instead, Jesus instructed His men to be bold in proclaiming the good news of salvation. They were to herald the Gospel publicly and fervently. They did not need to fear.  

“John Knox, the great Reformer of Scotland, is often remembered as something akin to a biblical prophet born out of time-strong and brash, thundering in righteous might. In truth, he was “low in stature, and of a weakly constitution,” a small man who was often sickly and afflicted with doubts and fears,” explains author Douglass Bond in his book, The Mighty Weakness of John Knox.

“Knox did indeed accomplish herculean tasks, but not because he was strong and resolute in himself. Rather, he was greatly used because he was submissive to God; therefore, God strengthened him. That strength was displayed as Knox endured persecution and exile, faced down the wrath of mighty monarchs, and prayed, preached, and wrote with no fear of man, but only a desire to manifest the glory of God and to please Him.”

Are you a person or fear or faith? Let us resolved to be captivated by an insatiable desire to glorify God; even in the midst of harassment and persecution.  Have a God honoring day.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.  ²⁴ “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.” (Matthew 10:24–25 (ESV)

Jesus taught that His disciples would encounter difficulties and persecution because of the Gospel. He did not hide it and He did not minimize it. What was true for the first century church remains so today for believers in Christ.

Jesus said, ““A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. ²⁵ It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

“Jesus reminded the apostles He was not asking something of them He Himself had not already experienced. In reaction to His casting out a demon, the religious leaders had claimed He was working by the prince of the demons (cf. 9:34). If they accused Jesus (the Head of the house) of demonic power, surely they would say the same thing of His servants (the members of His household). Beelzebub (the Gr. has Beezeboul) was a name for Satan, the prince of the demons, perhaps derived from Baal-Zebub, god of the Philistine city of Ekron (2 Kings 1:2). “Beelzebub” means “lord of the flies,” and “Beezeboul” or “Beelzeboul” means “lord of the high place,” explains one biblical commentator.

The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Peter to explain and expand this doctrine of suffering service. It is appropriate for us to consider the following inspired and inerrant texts.

²⁰ “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. ²¹ For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. ²² He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³ When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (I Peter 2:20-23 ESV).

¹³ “Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:13–15 (ESV)

¹² “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” (1 Peter 4:12–16 (ESV)

We are to trust, honor and rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ, even when encountering persecution for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Have a blessed day in the Lord.

Soli deo Gloria!