Matthew 10:34-39

Matthew 10:34-39
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 “For I came 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 MAN’S ENEMIES WILL BE THE MEMBERS OF HIS HOUSEHOLD.  37 “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. 38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.

Tests are designed to demonstrate authenticity.  In academics, we give tests to determine the authenticity of a student’s knowledge.  A jeweler will test the authenticity of a diamond or precious metal.  Jesus is giving the disciples the criteria for testing the authenticity of their faith.  There is a great misunderstanding about being a Christian in today’s church.  We call it the prosperity gospel.  This is the belief that being a Christian will make us healthy and wealthy.  This may be a popular message that fills the pews and offering baskets of churches.  But it is a false gospel that is filling hell with souls.  The Gospel that Jesus and the apostles taught was not about prosperity or popularity, or event peace; it was about purity and persecution.  Today’s text points to three tests of the authenticity of our faith. 

THE TEST OF DIVISION: Peace is one of the promises of the Gospel, but not all kinds of peace.  The true Gospel promises us peace with God and the peace of God.  Sin is an act of war against God but salvation ends all hostility between us and God.  We are reconciled to God through the blood of Jesus.  This is peace with God.  We also receive the Holy Spirit as a result of our salvation.  He helps us understand and apply the Word of God to all circumstances in our lives which enables us to experience tranquility in the midst of hostility and difficulty.  This is the peace of God.  Unfortunately, the peace of God and peace with God does not always or often translate into peace with other people.  Jesus taught that the true Gospel would create hostility between members of the same family.  When one family member trusts Christ, he immediately wants the members of his family to become believers as well.  Unfortunately, there are many times that family members reject the Gospel and defend whatever else they might believe.  This difference in faith creates division in families.  Fathers disown children.  Siblings reject one another.  This is not always the case but it is on many occasions.  All over the world today believers are being divided from their families because of their faith in Christ.  Those of us who are blessed by having believing families must love and pray for our brothers and sisters who have lost their families because they have trusted Christ.

THE TEST OF DEVOTION: Family is a wonderful gift from God but must never become our god.  Idolatry is the sin of having anything or anybody higher than God in our affections.  If we love our parents, spouses or our children more than we love Jesus; we are guilty of idolatry.  A true believer will be fully devoted to God even in the midst of being rejected by his own family.  Our love for God must be greater than any other love in our lives.  This does not mean that we are to be indifferent towards our family or even our friends.  Jesus taught that we demonstrate our love for God by loving others but that does not mean we can replace our love for God with the love of others.  We are to love God and others.  Our love for others flows out of a love for God.  In the case of a divided family, we cannot allow our love for family to cause us to turn our backs on what God would have us to do.  Our priority in life must always be obedience to the will of God.  He has called us to make disciples of all nations.  In order to follow that calling, there will be times when we will have to be away from our families for long periods of time.  As I write this post our immediate family is residing on three different continents.  Our love for God and desire to obey Him must be a greater priority than spending time with or being close to our families.  If God is going to be worshiped in all the nations and disciples are going to be made in all nations; believers are going to have to be devoted fully to the Lord to the point that we are ready to live a long way away from our families and even offend our family members in doing so. 

THE TEST OF DEDICATION: Life is one of our most precious commodities.  We all have an innate and God given desire to live.  However, life can also become an idol in our hearts.  Jesus calls His disciples to take up our cross and follow Him.  The cross is not an instrument that prolongs life.  The cross is and instrument that ends life.  Jesus paid the ultimate price by giving His life to pay the price of our sin.  Those who have been forgiven of their sin by trusting in that death will also be willing to give their lives for the sake of the Gospel.  Those who value their lives above God will end up losing their lives in the sense that the will be separated from God for all of eternity.  Those who demonstrate their love of God and faith in Jesus by willingly laying down their lives in the face of persecution or in order to advance the Gospel; will experience eternal life in God’s presence.  Their dedication to God and the Gospel demonstrates the authenticity of their faith.   


APPLICATION: Don’t expect that being a Christian will bring prosperity into our lives.  Be prepared to be rejected by family members or even persecuted by them for trusting Christ.  Thank God and rejoice in being a part of a believing family.  Don’t allow love for family to overshadow our love for God or limit or availability to advance the Gospel.  Be willing to suffer and even die for the cause of Christ.

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