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Matthew 10:34-39
Jesus ultimately came to bring peace, but the peace that Jesus brings is a peace within one’s heart and soul that is only found in accepting in one’s heart the gift that He brings of eternal forgiveness. But in this world, which is evil, is the ways of disobedience to God and is not accepting of God as the ways of this world are not seeking the will of God but the ways of man, which is the ways of the devil. Jesus states in Matthew 10:34 (NKJV), “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” The sword that Jesus brings into this world is a sword against the evil ways of the devil which have a stronghold on society. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 10:35-37 as He quotes Micah 7:6, “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’ [(Micah 7:6)]. 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.” Jesus then goes directly into what this is an example of as He declares in Matthew 10:38-39, “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.” To take up one’s cross and follow Jesus is to take a step in life that is different than that of the worldly society. To take up one’s cross and follow Jesus is to be ridiculed by the world. Jesus wants His disciples/apostles to be aware of what is to come, and in that, He wants them to know that they will need to rely on His guidance to overcome the ways of the world. He who finds his life in this world will lose eternal life in heaven, but he who loses his life in this world, but finds a new life in Christ Jesus will find eternal life in heaven.
This is a promise and example that opening one’s heart to Jesus will bring conflict with those who refuse to put their faith in Him.
This is an example of taking up one’s cross for Jesus.
To proclaim Jesus as your Savior in this world is against the beliefs of this world; it will bring conflict to relationships, even relationships between family members. But the time that God gives us in this world is to recognize that He is our Creator and that only He is worthy of our praise and worship. In declaring Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, we are actually being a part of God’s victory over Satan as God proves to Satan over and over that he is not more powerful than God. God proves to Satan that He is the Almighty One and only true God over and over as He, through His great love for us, saves one more from the grasp of Satan in a world in which Satan has taken control. In Satan’s world, God is still more powerful than him, and He will continue to prove it to him over and over every time someone opens their heart to Jesus and declares Him Lord and Savior! Take up your cross today and declare Jesus Lord and Savior, and be a part of God’s victory over Satan in this world, and in the eternal world to come.
Dear LORD,
We find it hard to believe that You would bring family members against one another, but we realize that we must put You first in our lives, above all, and that will bring conflict with those who refuse to believe in You and the saving power of Jesus, whom You sent to save the world from sin (John 3:16-17). In declaring Jesus our Lord and Savior is publicly confessing our need for You and our faith in You to deliver us from sin. We do this LORD so that when we stand before You in spirit, Jesus will also confess us before You as we enter into Your eternal glory. Thank You so much for sending Jesus to save us from sin, and please help us to lead, in the love of Christ Jesus, others to Your great saving grace that the sword that Jesus brings into this world may be turned to salvation for all – in Christ! In Jesus name I pray, amen.