Matthew 10:34-11:1

Exodus 1:8-14, 22

Psalm 124:1b-3, 4-6, 7-8

Matthew 10:34-11:1

Jesus said to his Apostles:

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth.

I have come to bring not peace but the 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 one's enemies will be those of his household.

"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;

and whoever does not take up his cross

and follow after me is not worthy of me.

Whoever finds his life will lose it,

and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

"Whoever receives you receives me,

and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet

will receive a prophet's reward,

and whoever receives a righteous man

because he is righteous

will receive a righteous man's reward.

And whoever gives only a cup of cold water

to one of these little ones to drink

because he is a disciple–

amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward."

When Jesus finished giving these commands to his Twelve disciples,

he went away from that place to teach and to preach in their towns.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, it is hard to hear your Son’s words today. He speaks about bringing a sword instead of peace, instigating familial strife, and the need to love him more than my own family. Soften the hardness of my heart to receive your Word and understand it so that it may bear abundant fruit.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Fulfillment of the Prophecy of Micah: In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is concluding his second major discourse on the mission of his apostles, the royal officers of his Kingdom. As we read the passage, we can naturally ask: “How is it that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, announces that he comes not to bring peace upon the earth, but the sword, and set family members against each other?” What Jesus is alluding to is a prophecy of Micah, which states: “For the son belittles his father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, and your enemies are members of your household” (Micah 7:6). According to first-century Jewish thought, there would be a time of great tribulation that would precede and inaugurate the age of salvation. In brief, Jesus is saying that he has come to inaugurate the time of tribulation and that the age of salvation is dawning. He is sending out his Apostles with the Good News of salvation. “The proclamation of the kingdom will cause division not because of the message itself but because of the ways people receive it. Responses will vary from full reception to hostile rejection, and thus will cause discord – even hostility – within families” (Mitch and Sri, The Gospel of Matthew, 148).

2. Loving God First: In the Gospel, Jesus speaks about the hierarchy of our love. We cannot love even our own family members more than the three persons of the Holy Trinity. The worthy disciple of Jesus does not love father, mother, son, or daughter more than Jesus Christ. The first commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves. As the First Letter of John teaches, the two commandments go together: “If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates his brother, he is a liar” (1 John 4:20). Many times our love for God is expressed in how we treat and care for our brothers and sisters in need.

3. Slavery in Egypt and the Slaughter of the Hebrew Boys: The Book of Exodus opens with a new Pharaoh ruling in Egypt. The author of Hebrews states that the new Pharaoh was ignorant of the great things that Joseph had done for Egypt. From a historical perspective, one of the best candidates for this Pharaoh is Ramses II, who ruled from 1279 to 1213 B.C.. His firstborn son died at the age of 25/26 in 1256 B.C., and Ramses II was the one who built the city of Pi-Ramesses, which is known as Raamses in the Bible. The Pharaoh was concerned that the children of Israel, the descendants of Jacob, were growing and prospering. He was ignorant of the promise God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the promise that their descendants would be numerous and become a great nation. And so, Pharaoh enslaved the children of Israel and put them to work building the supply cities of Pithom and Raamses. Even when reduced to cruel slavery, the descendants of Jacob (Israel) multiplied. In response, Pharaoh commanded that the Hebrew boys be put to death by throwing them into and drowning them in the Nile River. By letting the females live, Pharaoh hoped to have them have families with Egyptian men and, in this way, destroy the ethnic line of the Hebrews and descendants of Israel. This persecution will eventually lead to the events of the exodus, the departure from Egypt, and the covenantal freedom of the descendants of Israel.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you are with me always. The path to salvation passes through tribulation. I do not ask that you remove trial, temptation, and tribulation from my life. Rather, I humbly ask that you strengthen me, guide me, and protect me as I journey toward you.

Living the Word of God: What trials, temptations, and tribulations am I experiencing right now? How am I doing with them? Do I trust in myself to be victorious, or do I see myself as fighting the good fight with Jesus by my side?