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"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.' He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.
"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward."
- Matthew 10:34-42
In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His teaching to the Twelve Apostles before they were sent out on their first mission: "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household! Therefore do not fear them. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." (For the earlier readings in this teaching before they Apostles are sent out, see The kingdom of heaven is at hand and I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.)
"Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword." My study bible reminds us that just before His extremely violent death on the Cross, Christ promised peace to His disciples. However, it says, the existence of evil necessitates spiritual warfare. The world Christ came to was under the authority of Satan, "the ruler of this world" or "god of this age" (John 12:31; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Therefore Christ wages war against the leader of vice with weapons of virtue (Ephesians 6:11-18), and He calls all of His disciples to do so as well. This is what the term "spiritual warfare" truly means.
"For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household.'" This is the prophecy of Micah 7:6, fulfilled by Christ.
"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." This struggle is a kind of battle that involves hearts and minds. What is it we are devoted to? My study bible reminds us that to carry his cross, a true disciple must be ready, if necessary to sacrifice even family relationships. To lose one's life for Christ's sake is a kind of total repentance, a full "change of mind." That usually requires external changes as well, giving up the things that keep us from fully living the life He calls us to.
"He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward. And he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward. And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward." Here again is the bold statement about the center of discipleship, Christ Himself. Everything depends on our response to the holiness He is a part of, which He brings to the world. That is extended through all those who are truly His disciples. This is the presence and working of the kingdom in our midst.
Learning to grow in discipleship requires hard choices we might not expect. This is not necessarily an everyday experience of extreme difficulty. But there are times when we come to a crossroads and have to remind ourselves that "He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it." That's when we may have to let go of a friendship or even closer relationship in order to more deeply commit to discipleship, to where Christ calls us to go. Sometimes we may find we need to give up something we love of a different nature, and it still is part of letting go of the life you have for another one. This sort of "spiritual battle" isn't about a kind of destructive, explosive battle, but more akin to a kind of forgiveness, a "giving up," or "letting go." It's not easy, and it can involve upheaval. But ultimately, it's important to focus on the commitment to something that calls us within our hearts to a place of love and union -- and it's not about what or who we let go of. Christ's guiding light must be the true and important focus, because this is a battle for love. It's a hard saying, and it's not easy, but the focus has to be on the peace -- that particular kind of peace -- that Christ offers us. That is union with Him, a communion of holiness, with what is essentially good and true and beautiful. This plays out in our own lives struggle by struggle, moment by moment, with every new choice. That is where Christ's sword of His truth comes in for us. We can love people and still let them go. There's a calling that's worth everything else, that embraces even those whom we let go with love.
